Stroke information reported on local television news: a national perspective.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Local television news commonly reports on health. This study aimed to characterize local TV news stroke reporting in America. METHODS Content analysis of stroke stories reported on 122 US local television stations. All stroke stories were coded for main focus and discussion of risk factors, stroke signs and symptoms, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, treatment within 3 hours, or recommendation to call 911. RESULTS Of the 1799 health stories, only 13 stroke stories aired, and the median story length was 24 seconds (interquartile range 21 to 48). Stroke was the 22nd most common health topic. Few stroke stories discussed useful information about prevention or treatment of stroke. CONCLUSIONS Stroke stories were nearly nonexistent in our sample, and those reported failed to discuss important messages needed to improve stroke prevention and treatment.