The Doctor Will See Your Data Now – Data Risks in Journalistic Media Coverage of Digital Health Applications for Chronic Diseases

Singh, Franca; Metag, Julia

Abstract

Drawing on Critical Data Studies and research on journalistic framing of emerging technologies, this study examines how German print media portray data risks associated with digital health technologies for chronic disease management. Using structural topic modeling of 3,027 articles from 2010 to 2024, we first identify that data protection concerns constitute a distinct and significant topic in chronic disease coverage. Subsequent manual content analysis of 367 articles from this topic reveals five media frames varying in their portrayal of these risks, from dismissive technological optimism to critical market skepticism. Despite these different frames, we found no significant differences between tabloid and quality publications or between daily and weekly newspapers, suggesting consistency in how German journalism approaches healthcare data risks. Our analysis contributes to understanding the role of media in shaping public perception of digital health technologies.