BACKGROUND: Tobacco taxation constitutes a pivotal strategy for mitigating this impact. A comprehensive understanding of how media frames tobacco taxation and how individuals perceive it can inform public health strategies, thereby enhancing social mobilization and public education efforts.
METHODS: This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating content analysis, framing analysis and in-depth interviews. A total of 1796 news articles and 761 Weibo posts from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023 using thematic coding. In-depth interviews were conducted with five key opinion leaders, including government officials, scholars, and journalists.
RESULTS: The topic of tobacco taxation reveals a discrepancy between news coverage and user-generated content on Weibo. Public discussions focus on Economic Impact (44.16% vs. 44.4% in news coverage), Health and Environmental Promotion (23.64% vs. 12.5% in news coverage), Policy Environment (16.88% vs. 43.1% in news coverage), and Rights and Obligations (15.32% vs. 0.0% in news coverage). Furthermore, according to framing analysis, three predominant frames were identified in news coverage: Economic Benefits, Social Protection, and Policy Comparisons. In contrast, the dominant frames on Weibo were Conflict, Fund Allocation, and Individual Obligations. Based on the in-depth Interviews, we identified two primary reasons for the discrepancy: (1) Tobacco taxes are often framed exclusively as either an economic or a health issue during news production. (2) The lack of transparency regarding tobacco profits and the allocation of tax revenue leaves both the media and the public uninformed.
CONCLUSIONS: By addressing public concerns and filling information gaps, media can better guide the public agenda and foster stronger societal backing for legislation. Integrating the efforts of economic news and health news departments in media organization can shift the narrative from conflict to dialogue, highlighting the complementary benefits of economic and health outcomes. Additionally, integrating tobacco tax discussions within broader health communication framing could improve public engagement and policy outcomes.