Drug-related news reports in South Korea: shifting trends, sensationalized reporting, and the need for responsible reporting

Drug addiction is an escalating global public health concern, with the sensationalized reporting of the media playing a significant role. This study aims to analyze drug-related media reports in South Korea and evaluate the potential risks associated with sensationalized reporting.

We collected drug-related news articles from the 10 most subscribed news outlets in South Korea from January 1, 2010, to March 31, 2023 (N = 53,242). The content of these articles was analyzed using latent Dirichlet assignment topic modeling, focusing on topic changes over 2-year intervals. To assess the sensationalism of drug-related news, five problematic content categories were examined: sensationalizing or normalizing drug use, providing details on how to obtain drugs, explicitly describing methods of drug use, using sensational headlines, and offering accurate information about drug treatment and counseling.

Drug-related articles from 2010 to 2023 revealed a shift in focus, with keywords transitioning from drug smuggling to online drug purchases. The majority of these articles focused on drug use by celebrities. Sensational headlines surfaced in 51.7% of articles, while 44.7% explicitly described methods of drug use. Additionally, 31.8% of articles provided detailed information on how to obtain drugs.

This study highlights shifting trends in drug-related articles, transitioning from a focus on drug smuggling to more sensational topics. Many articles featured provocative headlines or provided excessive details on obtaining or using drugs, emphasizing the need for guidelines to ensure responsible reporting in drug-related news.