摘要：Objectives. Media play an important role in the diffusion of innovations by spreading knowledge of their relative advantages. We examined media coverage of retailers abandoning tobacco sales to explore whether this innovation might be further diffused by media accounts. Methods. We searched online media databases (Lexis Nexis, Proquest, and Access World News) for articles published from 1995 to 2011, coding retrieved items through a collaborative process. We analyzed the volume, type, provenance, prominence, and content of coverage. Results. We found 429 local and national news items. Two retailers who were the first in their category to end tobacco sales received the most coverage and the majority of prominent coverage. News items cited positive potential impacts of the decision more often than negative potential impacts, and frequently referred to tobacco-caused disease, death, or addiction. Letters to the editor and editorials were overwhelmingly supportive. Conclusions. The content of media coverage about retailers ending tobacco sales could facilitate broader diffusion of this policy innovation, contributing to the denormalization of tobacco and moving society closer to ending the tobacco epidemic. Media advocacy could increase and enhance such coverage. Tobacco retailers play a key role in perpetuating the tobacco epidemic. 1 Tobacco outlet density increases the likelihood of smoking among both minors and adults, 2–5 and living in close proximity to tobacco outlets is associated with unsuccessful quit attempts. 6,7 These observed relationships may be explained by pervasive tobacco advertising (including tobacco displays) in tobacco retail outlets, which triggers smoking among smokers and former smokers 8,9 and encourages smoking initiation by youths 10–17 by enhancing smoking’s apparent popularity and desirability. 18,19 The ubiquity of tobacco outlets also undermines a strong public health message that tobacco products are addictive and deadly. 20 Although several cities have outlawed tobacco sales at pharmacies, 21,22 there are as yet few public policy mandates aimed at reducing the number of tobacco retailers. However, a number of retailers have voluntarily ended tobacco sales. Independent pharmacies were among the first, 23–26 followed by some local, regional, and national grocery and discount chains. Media attention may be an important factor influencing wider adoption of these innovative policies, as the media play an important role in the diffusion of innovations. Through the media, potential adopters gain knowledge of and a sense of familiarity with an innovation’s compatibility with organizational values, possible positive or negative consequences, and relative advantages, including its economic profitability, social prestige, cost, convenience, rewards, and time savings. 27 In the process, the media may reduce perceptions of the innovation as novel or risky or enhance perceptions of its advantages, facilitating its wider adoption. 28 Research has examined the characteristics that distinguish tobacco-free pharmacies from those that sell tobacco 24,25,29 and why some California retailers have given up tobacco sales, 30 but no studies have explored media coverage of retailer abandonment of tobacco sales. This article examines the media’s role in the dissemination of information about this voluntary policy innovation. We sought to learn if the media singled out this policy for attention and, if so, to what extent. We also explored whether the content of media coverage suggested support for wider adoption of this policy.
