ABSTRACT
News discourses relaying the gendered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are particularly salient in both shaping and reflecting public understanding of vaccine responses located in a social and cultural context of hegemonic power. This content analysis investigated 50 digital articles on reported menstrual disruptions post vaccination across four U.S. digital broadcast news networks from January 1, 2021, to November 1, 2021, in order to explore subtle and direct messages constructed through media framing regarding gender and health. Findings indicate the prevalence of discursive framing that assigned priority to women’s vaccine compliance through articulations of mostly reproductive concerns and centralized women medical experts and journalists as unquestioned authorities. Although media coverage did render menstrual experiences somewhat visible through COVID-19, recommendations highlight the need for more diverse gender identities and a more expansive continuum of menstruation experiences to be authentically voiced and visible in news reports for public consideration. Increased news inquiries beyond the biomedical lens may enhance comprehension and lead to more critical examination of the ways in which power shapes priorities regarding gender and health across broader social and cultural contexts.
