Thematic Analysis of the Organ Transplantation News in Turkish Press.

BACKGROUND

Organ transplantation, which is one of the most important developments in medical technology and a successful treatment against irreversible life-organ insufficiency, gives people a second chance at life and increases their quality of life. The aim of this qualitative research is to detect how often organ transplantation news is reported in the Turkish press and to analyze the content of this news.

METHODS

The data in this qualitative study were obtained from the first 3 most widely read newspapers (Posta, Hürriyet, and Sabah) in Turkey between January and July 2018. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

When the newspapers were examined, only 17 texts on organ transplants were obtained during a period of 6 months. Six themes were defined after the data analysis. These themes were (1) information on the organ transplantation process, (2) emotional reactions, (3) medical knowledge, (4) importance of organ donation, (5) organ transplant in Turkey, and (6) legal regulation. Most news focused on the emotional reactions of patients and their families and information on the organ transplantation process.

CONCLUSIONS

When we looked at the whole content in Turkish press, there was a place for organ transplantation. However, it is considered that in press news, where people access information easily, more space should be given to organ transplantation to create awareness of how vital it is in changing some people's lives; health professionals and journalists need to work collaboratively to reach this aim.