How food companies use social media to influence policy debates

A framework of Australian ultra-processed food industry Twitter data

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15093223
AutoresDaniel Hunt (0000-0003-0755-7015, City, University of London, autor de correspondencia)
Año2021
Volumen24
Número10
Páginas3124-3135
Fecha de publicación2021-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980020003353
PMID33222709
OpenAlexW3110440322
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas14
Referencias citadas66

Objective: To understand if, and how, Australian ultra-processed food industry actors use Twitter to influence food and health policy debates and produce a conceptual framework to describe such influence. Design: Twitter data of prominent industry actors were defined through purposive sampling and inductively coded to investigate possible influence on food and health policy debates. These are described using descriptive statistics and coded extracts. Setting: Australia. Participants: Twitter accounts of nine prominent ultra-processed food industry actors, including major trade associations. Results: Ultra-processed food industry actors actively used Twitter to influence food and health policy debates. Seven overarching strategies were identified: co-opting public health narratives; opposing regulation; supporting voluntary, co- or self-regulation; engaging policy processes and decision-makers; linking regulatory environments to the need for ongoing profitability; affecting public perceptions and value judgements; and using ignorance claims to distort policy narratives. Each lobbying strategy is underpinned with tactics described throughout and captured in a framework. Conclusions: The current study creates a framework to monitor how food industry actors can use social media to influence food and health policy debates. As such, social media appears to be not only an important commercial determinant of health for brand marketing, but also an extension of lobbying practices to reshape public perceptions of corporate conduct and policy-making

Business · Ignorance · Political science · Public relations · Social media · Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Marketing