Representing disease: an analysis of breast cancer discourse in the South African Press

Since 2010, the international health community has placed a greater focus on reducing incidence and mortality rates due to non-communicable diseases, including cancer. Among women, breast cancer is the most common worldwide and therefore of great concern. While efforts to reduce and treat breast cancer are prevalent in Western countries, it is in developing countries where more than two-thirds of all breast cancer deaths occur. This is particularly evident in two African countries, South Africa and Nigeria, which have the highest mortality rates among nations in the global south. Despite growing concern, major challenges to reducing breast cancer exist, including economic, political and social factors. In Africa, for example, misconceptions about breast cancer are prevalent, which may impact women’s beliefs and decisions surrounding testing and treatment. Thus, to help garner a better understanding of these beliefs and the information potentially shaping some African women’s knowledge of breast cancer, this study seeks to uncover how the disease is represented in the popular news media. Theoretically, this research is rooted in theories of representation advanced by cultural studies and social psychology scholars. Specifically, it draws upon the concepts of discourse and ideology to ascertain how certain knowledges about and perceptions of breast cancer may be constructed in the South African press. It further considers political economy of communications and postcolonial theories to speculate how broader societal contexts and histories may influence the media’s representations. This theoretical framework is tested through a discourse analysis of eight articles about breast cancer, which were published in South African newspapers during September and October 2011. The study finds two key themes that suggest South Africa’s social norms, values and ideologies surrounding health, and specifically breast cancer, are reflected in the MSc Dissertation of Lauren Post 3 media’s coverage. Despite some distinguishing differences, the findings also support the notion that dominant Western ideologies regarding health and breast cancer are perpetuated to some extent in South African press. Ultimately, this research adds a new perspective to the literature on breast cancer discourse, which has, until now, focused primarily on discourses in Western-based media.