The portrayal of food marketing policy by Canadian news media

ABSTRACT

Unhealthy food marketing influences children’s food preferences, intake and rates of obesity. Currently, there is no mandatory national food marketing policy that restricts food marketing to youth in Canada. Little is known about the effects news media may have on the policy process with regard to food marketing. This study aimed to investigate how the Canadian media portrays the issue of food marketing policy, what perspectives are being framed, and who is being quoted. An article search of Canadian news sources on the databases Eureka and Factiva was conducted for the period 1 November 2015 and 1 November 2021. Sixty-five unique news articles on food marketing regulation were identified and a content analysis of each was conducted. The majority of news articles on food marketing regulation framed the topic around health (e.g. obesity, poor dietary intake) and lack of regulation. Food marketing regulation was identified as a solution to the problem in nearly all articles analyzed and was presented positively in 64.6% of articles. Few harms of marketing regulation were identified, while the two main benefits observed were reduced child obesity rates and exposure to food marketing. This study emphasizes the agenda-setting role of news media that were supportive of promoting public health goals. The Canadian media positively promotes government regulation of unhealthy food marketing.

KEYWORDS:

• food marketing
• policy
• content analysis
• news media
• Canada

Introduction

Childhood and adolescent obesity represent significant public health crises. In Canada, nearly one in three children and adolescents has overweight or obesity (Molina et al., 2023). This is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic health problems, and a greater likelihood of obesity in adulthood (Weihrauch-Blüher et al., 2019). Unhealthy diets are a determinant of obesity and, in 2015, more than half of the daily food consumption for Canadian children and adolescents came from ultra-processed foods (Polsky et al., 2020). Eating healthily is challenging in environments that promote unhealthy diets where children are exposed to a plethora of marketing for ultra-processed products such as soft drinks, snacks and fast food, which contain high amounts of fats, sugar and sodium (Potvin Kent et al., 2022; Swinburn et al., 2011).

Food marketing is a determinant of children’s food behaviours (Smith et al., 2019). Children have not yet developed the critical judgement skills needed to recognize that they are being advertised to and, thus, are more vulnerable to marketing techniques and persuasive messaging from advertisements (Hudders et al., 2017; Rozendaal & Buijzen, 2023). Evidence from systematic reviews and meta analyses has demonstrated that food marketing enhances children’s attitudes and preferences of the advertised food products, and increases children’s requests and consumption of advertised products (Packer et al., 2022; Smith et al., 2019). Food marketing is increasingly recognized as a children’s rights concern (World Health Organization, 2023). Recent WHO guidelines highlight that the marketing of unhealthy food products threatens several of the rights enshrined in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, including children’s rights to health, adequate and nutritious food, privacy, and to be free from exploitation (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1989; World Health Organization, 2023). Given that children and adolescents are heavily exposed to food marketing, especially for ultra-processed products, on television and in digital media, on packaging and in settings where children live and play such as schools, recreation centres and in retail environments, it is unsurprising that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has stated that unhealthy food marketing should be regulated (Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2013; Pauzé & Potvin Kent, 2021; Potvin Kent et al., 2022, 2023; Prowse, 2017).

In May 2010, the 63^rd World Health Assembly endorsed recommendations to guide Member States in developing policies on food marketing to children (World Health Organization, 2012). In Canada, despite strong agreement between health organizations, there is no national food marketing policy to protect children and adolescents (Mulligan et al., 2018). Except for the province of Quebec, Canada’s food and beverage industry self-regulates food and beverage marketing to children. This self-regulation initially took place through the Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) – a voluntary code with weak nutrition standards (Ad Standards, 2019; Mulligan et al., 2018). The new Code for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children was developed in collaboration with the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA), the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA), Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) and Restaurants Canada and implemented in June 2023 (Ad Standards, n.d.). Attempts at passing legislation on food marketing to children have also been made. In 2016, Bill S-228 was introduced in the Canadian Senate to prohibit food and beverage marketing directed at children by amending the Food and Drugs Act, but failed to pass in 2019 (Senate of Canada, 2017). In 2022, Bill C-252, also known as the Child Health Protection Act, passed its second reading in the House of Commons, renewing efforts to establish mandatory food marketing regulation in Canada (House of Commons of Canada, 2023).

While research has shown that industry – including food companies, advertising companies, and their associations – is impacting the development of food marketing policy through its lobbying activities, little is known about how news media portrays food marketing policy, which may affect public awareness and the policy process (Mulligan et al., 2021). A growing body of literature suggests that news media goes beyond influencing individual health behaviours to play an active role in shaping political discourse (Grossman, 2022; Scopelliti et al., 2021). The policy process is often characterized according to systems thinking, where by inputs, the political system, and outputs are seen as influenced by the surrounding policy environment and associated structural, sociopolitical, and economic factors (Birkland, 2011). News media can select issues of importance to highlight or deemphasize to the public and policy makers (Crow & Lawlor, 2016). In terms of public health policy, the portrayal of health issues by news media is significant in influencing policy with regard to who has the responsibility for preventing and dealing with the problem, which serves as the foundation for media advocacy (Douglas et al., 2018). Health advocates should be aware of the potential impact of media advocacy in generating public awareness of an issue (Dorfman & Krasnow, 2014). Using framing, media can attach meaning to an issue in a way that is publicly comprehensible (Crow & Lawlor, 2016). Framing is an integral technique in media reporting, defined as constructing the meaning and controlling the logic relating to an issue, which can be pivotal in outlining the parameters for a public policy debate (Douglas et al., 2018).

There is a lack of understanding on the portrayal of food marketing policy in Canadian news media. So far as we are aware, no such research has been undertaken in Canada. As such, our objective was to examine how the media portrays the issue of the regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children in Canada, what perspectives are being framed, and who is being quoted. It was hypothesized that media would portray the issue of food marketing regulation in a neutral fashion, given the expectation that news media strives for impartiality. It was also hypothesized that news articles on food marketing regulation would be framed according to a health perspective, and that researchers and industry representatives would be the most frequently quoted.

Methods

A content analysis of digital news articles on food marketing regulation was conducted. The study was empirically grounded in Krippendorff’s (2019) content analysis methodology.

Article search and selection

Digital news sources were purposely selected from across Canada according to their high readership (Innodata, 2021; Statista, 2021a, 2021b). The sample included 10 English language newspapers (Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, Toronto Sun, Financial Post, Vancouver Sun, Montreal Gazette, Calgary Herald, Hamilton Spectator, and Georgia Straight) and five other English language news sources (Global news, CTV news, CBC news, CityTV, and CP24).

Two databases, Eureka and Factiva, identified with the help of a librarian with expertise in media studies, newspapers and news sources, were used to identify the digital news articles. CityTV was the only news source not supported on either database, and was therefore excluded. The database search strategy was also developed in conjunction with the librarian. The databases were searched for news articles containing ‘food’ or ‘marketing’ or words with a prefix of ‘advert-’, within a maximum of three words apart from the word ‘ban’ or words with the prefix of ‘regulat-’ or ‘legislat-’ (e.g. ‘(food | marketing | advert*) %3 (regulat* | legislat* | ban)’ for Eureka and ‘(food or marketing or advert*) near3 (regulat* or legislat* or ban)’ for Factiva).

News articles were searched from 1 November 2015 to 1 November 2021. This start date was chosen because in November 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published his first mandate letter to the Minister of Health, in which he outlined that the minister should work to develop new restrictions for unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children (Trudeau, 2015).

As shown in the Prisma diagram (Figure 1), initially, 1,910 news articles were found on Eureka and 2,004 on Factiva. Each news article was screened for a mention of food marketing regulation. Notably, 808 identical duplicate news articles were identified and removed from the search on Factiva, reducing the number of news articles from this database to 1,196. Eureka did not have a feature to remove identical duplicate news articles so the 152 news articles that were found to mention food marketing regulation were analyzed further and duplicates were removed manually. Articles with the same author, date of publication, title and content were considered duplicates. Duplication in news article content is common as many articles have different titles, but identical content. In such cases, the first news article printed was saved and kept for further analysis. In other instances, a news article’s content was a summary of another. In these cases, the full article, rather than the summary, was kept for further analysis. These criteria were applied even if the news articles were published on different news sources. In addition, news articles that were transcripts of radio interviews were excluded. Following removal of duplicates, 119 news articles remained for full-text evaluation before coding. To be coded, a news article was required to meet four key criteria: 1) contain discussion about food marketing regulation, 2) publication between 1 November 2015, and 1 November 2021, 3) publication in English, 4) publication by any of the targeted news sources. After full-text evaluation, 65 unique news articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria and were coded.

Figure 1. Prisma diagram of included articles regarding food marketing regulations presented by main media news sources in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021.

Coding

The process of coding the selected news articles consisted of an analysis of each news article’s content using a pre-developed coding manual (online Appendix A). Codes were determined based on a literature review of the impact of the regulation of unhealthy food marketing to children in Canada. In addition, Stone’s (2012) ‘policy paradox’ framework was considered when establishing codes in regards to the problematization of the issue, particularly who is responsible for the problem.

The coding questionnaire included 24 items that covered several key components of the news article, including the catalyst for publication (i.e. new regulation in Canada, new regulation in another country, new research released, new report released, new data on childhood obesity released, new data on other health issues, legal case, government election, and others), the focus of the article (i.e. new regulation, lack of regulation, ethical problem, context in other countries, health issue, and others), mention of a health issue (i.e. obesity, diabetes, unhealthy food intake, and others), responsibility for the problem (i.e. government, industry, individual, both government and industry, and others), solution to the problem (i.e. industry self-regulation, government regulation, both industry regulation and industry self-regulation, and others), mention of marketing regulation as a proposed solution, media/settings for marketing regulation (i.e. television, digital, outdoors, radio, print, schools, recreation settings, and others), the point of view of government regulation (i.e. positive, negative, ambivalent), benefits of marketing regulation (i.e. reduce consumption, reduce obesity, improve/promote consumption of healthy options, product reformulation, reduce child exposure, reduce health system cost, and others), harms of marketing regulation (i.e. reduce jobs, reduce industry’s revenue, increase marketing to other populations, increase marketing in other media/settings, and others), other types of solutions proposed (i.e. food labeling change, unhealthy food taxation, tax incentives, school food policy, healthy food promotion, education, and others), supporting evidence provided (i.e. scientific paper, government report, multilateral organizations report, non-government organization report, press release, industry discourse, private citizen, author’s opinion, news article, and others), and who was quoted (i.e. industry association, specific food or beverage company, health-related non-governmental organization, non-health-related non-governmental organization, government, researcher, and others).

The coding process was conducted by two researchers. Cohen’s Kappa between the two coders after coding the sample of 65 unique news articles was 0.99. A third researcher was available to resolve any discrepancies in coding. No discrepancies were observed.

Data analysis

The results from the online questionnaire were organized for content and descriptive analysis. Topics mentioned on every variable with low frequency were grouped into a category called ‘other’ to facilitate the analysis. The frequency of each variable was described, using total frequency, proportions, and a 95% confidence interval.

Results

From the 65 unique articles selected, 12 news sources were identified (Table 1). The main digital news source to publish articles regarding food marketing regulation was ‘CBC News’ with 19 articles (29.2%), followed by ‘The Globe and Mail’ with 18 articles (27.7%) and ‘The Toronto Star’ with 9 articles (13.8%) on the topic.

Table 1. Frequency of news articles on marketing regulation in main media news sources in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021.

Main media news sources	n (%)	CI (95%)
News sources
The Globe and Mail	18 (27.7)	18.0–40.1
Global News	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
The Toronto Star	9 (13.8)	7.2–24.9
CTV News	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
National Post	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Toronto Sun	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
CBC News	19 (29.2)	19.3–41.7
Financial Post	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
Montreal Gazette	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
Calgary Herald	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Hamilton Spectator	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
Georgia Straight	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
Total	65 (100.0)	-

The two main foci observed were ‘health issue’ and ‘lack of regulation’, each present in 46 articles (70.8%), respectively, followed by ‘new regulation’, found in 14 articles (21.5%) (Table 2).

Table 2. Frequency of foci identified in news articles on marketing regulation presented by main media news sources in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021 (n = 65).

Foci of news articles*	n (%)	CI (95%)
New regulation	14 (21.5)	13.0–33.5
Ethical problem	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Health issue	46 (70.8)	58.3–80.7
Lack of regulation	46 (70.8)	58.3–80.7
Other	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6

*Proportions exceed 100% because each news article could present more than one option.

From the sample selected, 61 articles (93.8%) presented a catalyst (Table 3). The two main catalysts found were ‘new regulation in Canada’ and ‘new report released’, present in 24 (36.9%) and 16 (24.6%) articles, respectively, followed by ‘new research released’, present in 7 (10.8%) articles.

Table 3. Frequency of catalysts for news articles on marketing regulation presented by main media news sources in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021.

Catalysts for marketing regulation and health issues mentioned	n (%)	CI (95%)
Is there a catalyst for the article?
Yes	61 (93.8)	84.4–97.7
No	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
Total	65 (100.0)	-
Catalysts*
New regulations in Canada	24 (36.9)	25.9–49.5
New regulation in another country	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
New research released	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3
New report released	16 (24.6)	15.5–36.8
New data on childhood obesity	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
Legal case	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Government election	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
New Food Guide	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Press release	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
No catalyst	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
Other	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5

*Proportions exceed 100% because each news article could present more than one option.

Of the articles analyzed, 64 articles (98.5%) mentioned a health issue (Table 4). The two most frequently mentioned health issues were ‘obesity’ and ‘unhealthy food intake’, present in 58 (89.2%) and 56 (86.2%) articles, respectively, followed by ‘diabetes’, found in 20 articles (30.8%).

Table 4. Frequency of health issues mentioned in articles on marketing regulation presented by main media news sources in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021.

Health issues mentioned	n (%)	CI (95%)
Is there mention of a health issue?
Yes	64 (98.5)	89.4–99.8
No	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
Total	65 (100.0)	-
Health issues*
Obesity	58 (89.2)	78.7–94.9
Diabetes	20 (30.8)	20.6–43.3
Unhealthy food intake	56 (86.2)	75.1–92.8
COVID-19	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Cancer	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Dental (tooth decay and dental caries)	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Chronic disease	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3
Heart (any heart related disease)	19 (29.2)	19.3–41.7
No health issue	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
Other	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3

*Proportions exceed 100% because each news article could present more than one option.

Table 5 shows the responsibility for the problem, the frequency of solutions proposed, points of view on marketing regulation, media/settings for marketing regulation, and other solutions proposed. From the sample selected, ‘both industry and government’ were found to be responsible for the problem in 33 articles (50.8%), followed by ‘government’ and ‘industry’, present in 24 (36.9%) and 8 (12.3%) articles, respectively. ‘Government regulation’ was the most frequently proposed solution to the problem, presented in 58 articles (89.2%), and 42 articles (64.6%) presented a positive point of view on government regulation of food marketing. Food marketing regulation was considered a solution to the problem in 62 articles (95.4%). The two main media/settings observed for food marketing regulation were ‘television’ and ‘digital’ media, each present in 29 (44.6%) and 26 (40.0%) articles, respectively. ‘No media/settings’ for food marketing regulation was identified in 28 articles (43.1%). Other solutions to food marketing were identified in 47 (72.3%) of news articles analyzed, with the two main other solutions being ‘food labelling change’ and ‘unhealthy food taxation’, identified in 27 (41.5%) and 20 (30.8%) articles, respectively.

Table 5. Frequency of responsibility for the problems and solutions proposed in news articles on marketing regulation and frequency of other solutions to the identified problem, and points of view of marketing regulation as presented by main media news in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021.

Responsibility and solutions to unhealthy food marketing	n (%)	CI (95%)
Responsibility for problem identified
Government	24 (36.9)	25.9–49.5
Industry	8 (12.3)	6.2–23.1
Both industry and government	33 (50.8)	38.5–63.0
Total	65 (100.0)	-
Responsibility for solution
Government regulation	58 (89.2)	78.7–94.9
Both government and industry self-regulation	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
No solution proposed	1 (1.5)	0.2–10.6
Total	65 (100.0)	-
Points of view regarding government regulation
Negative	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Positive	42 (64.6)	52.0–75.5
Does not state a viewpoint	18 (27.7)	18.0–40.0
Total	65 (100.0)	-
Is food marketing regulation considered a solution to the problem?
Yes	62 (95.4)	86.3–98.5
No	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Total	65 (100.0)	-
Media/Settings to be included for marketing regulation*
Television	29 (44.6)	32.8–57.1
Digital	26 (40.0)	28.6–52.6
Outdoor	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
Radio	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Print	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Schools	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3
Recreation settings	16 (24.6)	15.5–36.8
Retail settings	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
Packaging	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
No media/settings	28 (43.1)	31.4–55.6
Other	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Other solutions proposed*
Food labelling change	27 (41.5)	30.0–54.1
Unhealthy food taxation	20 (30.8)	20.6–43.3
Tax incentives	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
School food policy	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3
Healthy food promotion	9 (13.8)	7.2–24.9
Education	12 (18.5)	10.6–30.1
Review food guide	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Product reformulation	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Physical activity	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
Parental control	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
No other solution	18 (27.7)	18.0–40.1
Other	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5

*Proportions exceed 100% because each news article could present more than one option.

In terms of the frequency of benefits and harms of marketing regulation, the two main benefits observed were ‘reduce child exposure’ and ‘reduce obesity’. These were present in 50 (76.9%) and 39 (60.0%) articles, respectively, followed by ‘reduce consumption’, found in 24 articles (36.9%) (Table 6). ‘No harms’ of marketing regulation were identified in 45 articles (69.2%). The most frequently identified harm observed was ‘reduce industry revenue’, present in seven articles (10.8%).

Table 6. Frequency of benefits and harms of marketing regulation presented by main media news in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021 (n=65).

Benefits and harms of marketing regulation	n (%)	CI (95%)
Benefits*
Reduce consumption	24 (36.9)	25.9–49.5
Reduce obesity	39 (60.0)	47.4–71.4
Reduce child exposure	50 (76.9)	64.8–85.8
Improve consumption of healthy options	21 (32.3)	21.9–44.9
Promote product reformulation	2 (3.0)	0.7–11.9
Reduce health care costs	11 (16.9)	9.5–28.3
No benefits	2 (3.0)	0.7–11.9
Other benefits	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Harms*
Reduce jobs	2 (3.0)	0.7–11.9
Reduce industry revenue	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3
Increase marketing in other media/settings	1 (1.5)	2.1–10.6
Increase marketing to other populations	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
Increase marketing of other products	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Reduce sport sponsorships	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Reduce freedom	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
Increase paternalism	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
No harms	45 (69.2)	56.7–79.4
Other harms	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4

*Proportions exceed 100% because each news article could present more than one option.

Of the 65 unique articles analyzed, 63 articles (96.9%) presented supporting evidence (Table 7). The most frequently identified supporting evidence were ‘NGO reports’, present in 28 articles (43.1%), followed by ‘Government report’ and ‘scientific paper’ present in 22 (33.8%) and 21 (32.3%) articles, respectively. The two main sources of quotation identified were ‘government’, ‘health-related NGO’, and ‘industry association’, present in 29 (44.6%), 23 (35.4%), and 23 (35.4%), respectively. For example, in 2017 CBC News published a news article including quotations from Hasan Hutchinson, Director General at Health Canada, who was overseeing consultations on how foods are marketed to children in Canada. He said: ‘We know of course that children under 13 are particularly impressionable. But we feel that evidence is showing that teens [in the] 13- to 17-year-old age group are equally vulnerable group’ (Lunn, 2017). In another news article published by the Globe and Mail, Manuel Arango, Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Director of Health Policy and Advocacy, said: ‘Industry’s agenda is to improve their bottom line. That’s all well and good, but when you’re developing health-related legislation, you have to focus on the health needs of Canadians’ (Krashinsky, 2017).

Table 7. Frequency of supporting evidence and source of quotations for news articles on marketing regulation presented by main media news in Canada, from November 2015 to November 2021 (n=65).

Supporting evidence and source of quotation	n (%)	CI (95%)
Supporting evidence*
Scientific paper	21 (32.3)	21.9–44.9
Government report	22 (33.8)	23.2–46.4
Press release	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6
Industry discourse	12 (18.5)	10.6–30.1
Private citizen	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Author’s opinion	14 (21.5)	13.0–33.5
NGO report	28 (43.1)	31.4–55.6
News article	20 (30.8)	20.6–43.3
Multilateral organization (UN, WHO, EU)	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Legal document (mandate letter, bill, legislation, government consultation)	12 (18.5)	10.6–30.1
Food Guide	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Interview	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
No source indicated	2 (3.1)	0.7–11.9
Other source	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Who was quoted*
Industry association	23 (35.4)	24.5–48.0
Specific food or beverage company	5 (7.7)	3.2–17.5
Health-related NGO	23 (35.4)	24.5–48.0
Other NGO	6 (9.2)	4.1–19.4
Government	29 (44.6)	32.8–57.1
Researcher	20 (30.8)	20.6–43.3
Health professional	3 (4.6)	1.5–13.7
Private citizen	7 (10.8)	5.1–21.3
No quotation	13 (20.0)	11.8–31.8
Other	4 (6.2)	2.3–15.6

*Proportions exceed 100% because each news article could present more than one option.

Discussion

This study found 65 unique news articles on food marketing regulation published by Canadian news sources between 1 November 2015 and 1 November 2021. More than half of the analyzed articles were published by the CBC News and The Globe and Mail, which are available nationally and share more left-leaning political ideologies (Thibault et al., 2020). It was also found that the release of new reports and new regulations in Canada were the most frequently identified catalysts of the articles analyzed. Such information can be used by health advocates to get news stories on food marketing to children into the media and help set the agenda for what issues are considered by the public and policy makers (Dorfman & Krasnow, 2014; McCombs & Shaw, 2017).

News articles on food marketing regulation were predominantly framed around the foci of health issues and lack of regulation to prevent the problem. The way that food marketing regulation is framed by the news media can have a potentially important role in influencing how the problem is perceived by the public and policy makers (McCombs & Shaw, 2017). By emphasizing the health issues related to food marketing, news articles can stimulate public health awareness on the subject and draw attention to the seriousness of the problem (McCombs & Shaw, 2017). Articles that focused on the lack of marketing regulation serve to hold Canada’s government accountable for the priorities set out in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mandate letters to the Minister of Health. Health advocates should be aware of the persuasive power of framing as a strategy to emphasize the importance of a health issue and promote public health policy. Comparable to news articles on food marketing regulation, media highlighted tobacco use as a problem in need of regulation, framed tobacco control positively, and used media as a way to pressure government to move tobacco control legislation forward (Tam & van Walbeek, 2014). The observed success of media advocacy in promoting tobacco legislation could be repeated with respect to food marketing regulation.

Both government and industry were found to be responsible for the identified problem in more than half (51%) of the news articles analyzed. Industry continues to produce unhealthy food marketing, while government fails to regulate their activity. Interestingly, however, government regulation alone was found to be the most frequently proposed solution in 89% of news articles. Notably, industry self-regulation was not identified as a proposed solution in any of the articles analyzed. This is consistent with previous research that emphasizes the failure of industry self-regulation in reducing exposure to unhealthy food marketing (Potvin Kent et al., 2022; Prowse, 2017). In addition, government regulation was depicted positively in 64% of the news articles analyzed suggesting that media supports the government’s role in promoting a healthier food environment.

Food marketing regulation was considered a solution to the problem in 95% of news articles analyzed and over 69% of news articles did not mention any harm of food marketing regulation. This could indicate no harms of food marketing regulation being identified. In contrast, the majority (97%) of news articles mentioned at least one benefit of food marketing regulation including reduced child exposure and reduced obesity. Overall, the results suggest that the benefits of food marketing regulation outweighed the harms, indicating a favourable portrayal of marketing regulation by Canadian news media covering the topic. Results also indicated that television and digital media, including social media, were the two most frequently mentioned media for food marketing regulation. This was not surprising, given that most advertising expenditures are made in these media (Potvin Kent et al., 2023).

Solutions to the identified problem other than food marketing regulation were mentioned in 72.3% of articles analyzed. Unhealthy food taxation and food labelling change were the most frequently mentioned, which can be indicative of the scope of the problem and that more than just one regulation is viewed as necessary to influence children’s dietary intake.

Scientific papers and government reports were the most frequently used supporting evidence in news articles on food marketing regulation. News media simplifies these findings for public consumption, and controls the timing of the release of this information, which can be critical to facilitating political discourse (Mulligan et al., 2021). For example, one study in Missouri found that despite the majority of news articles in the year leading up to an election being pro-tobacco control, a significant increase in the proportion of anti-tobacco control articles in the month before the election contributed to the failure of a state cigarette tax (Harris et al., 2010). This emphasizes the agenda-setting nature of media advocacy, while drawing attention to the timing of news article publication as a critical factor to the passage of public health policy (Harris et al., 2010). It also highlights that media advocates anticipate significant opposition leading up to a policy event (Harris et al., 2010).

Quotes from researchers and government were among the most common sources used to support the content of news articles on food marketing regulation. The use of these sources suggests news media’s potential preference for reliable information that is free from conflicts of interest. It may also suggest that they have greater access to such sources compared to industry sources. However, despite the higher proportion of quotes from researchers and government, quotes provided a balanced representation of perspectives for and against food marketing regulation. For example, quotations from industry associations, such as the Association of Canadian Advertisers, and health-related non-governmental organizations, such as the Childhood Obesity Foundation, were equally represented in the news articles analyzed. These findings illustrate that despite the news media’s positive tone towards governmental food marketing regulation, news sources appear to remain committed to providing a balance of perspectives when depicting the issue. Nevertheless, industry lobbying still seems to have stronger power in shifting policy making, as seen with the defeat of Bill S-228 (Mulligan et al., 2021).

Evidently, news media in Canada are supportive in promoting public health goals and presenting issues which influence the formation of public health policies. Non-governmental organizations with an interest in restricting food marketing to children should foster their relationship with the media to ensure a continued positive framing of this issue.

Strengths and limitations

Our study has many strengths. So far as we are aware, this study is the first of its kind in Canada to investigate news articles on policy on food marketing to children. Article selection was conducted with the help of a specialized librarian and by two researchers and data were double coded to increase rigour. The limitations of our study are also important to highlight. The number of news articles on food marketing regulation from Canadian news sources is underestimated in our study as articles are frequently re-published in other media using different but similar titles. We removed all duplicate articles throughout the news article selection process and if articles were published on more than one news source, only the first article saved was retained for further analysis.

As news sources were only included in our article search based on their readership, and not based on geographic distribution, our findings are likely not representative of news media across Canada. Furthermore, our study only examined English language media and are therefore not representative of articles published in other languages including French. French new articles were not assessed due to feasibility issues.¹ Future research should investigate news articles on food marketing regulation published in French. This would provide a more complete representation of the framing of food marketing regulation throughout all Canadian media. In addition, qualitative analysis of news article quotes on food marketing regulation could be done to provide greater depth on the perspectives of the issue.

Conclusion

In Canada, the news media portrays the issue of food marketing policy by referencing health issues and lack of regulation. The media is overwhelmingly supportive of healthier food environments and in favour of government regulation of food marketing to children. As such, it is not surprising that government and researchers are among the most frequent sources of quotation. Those in favour of marketing regulations should be aware of the potential impact of media advocacy on the implementation of public health policy.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2024.2306282.

Notes

1. The researchers in this study lacked sufficient proficiency in the French language to conduct this kind of data collection and analysis.