Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41029598›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

News media coverage of the U.S. social safety net: themes and gaps from a scoping review.

Sarah E Gollust, Quin Mudry Nelson, Carson Crane, Yusra Murad, Margaret E Tait

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sarah E GollustDivision of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 729, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. sgollust@umn.edu.
Quin Mudry NelsonDivision of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 729, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Carson CraneDivision of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 729, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Yusra MuradDivision of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 420 Delaware Street SE, MMC 729, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Margaret E TaitDepartment of Health Studies, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA.

Funding

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 79754
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe social safety net, the set of policies and programs designed to improve the quality of life of individuals facing periodic or persistent financial hardship, is critical to improving population health. Despite strong evidence of its importance, policy investments in the social safety net in the United States continue to face political obstacles. One important contributor to the political dynamics of issues is public opinion, which can be shaped - for better or worse - by the news media. By reporting on, interpreting, and contextualizing policy issues, the news media play a key role in shaping public understanding of social issues. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: In this scoping review, we summarize cross-disciplinary literature that examined news media coverage of social safety net issues (N = 40 studies).

resultsWe find that news coverage often focuses on individual stories and infrequently connects to broader, systemic issues, missing the opportunity to garner public support for the social safety net. Across studies, authors seldom note the implications of their work for journalistic practice nor for health equity.

conclusionsFuture work should examine how population health research evidence can be shared with journalists and news producers for more comprehensive media attention to the safety net within the context of the constraints news producers face.

Indexed as

Mass MediaPovertyHumansPublic OpinionUnited StatesEarly childhood educationHealth insuranceHousingNews mediaPaid family and medical leavePovertySocial safety netWelfare

Identifiers

PMID41029598
PMCPMC12487278

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.