Television (TV) news, and especially local TV news, remains an important vehicle through which Americans obtain information about health-related topics. In this review, we synthesize theory and evidence on four main functions of TV news in shaping public health policy and practice: reporting events and information to the public (surveillance); providing the context for and meaning surrounding health issues (interpretation); cultivating community values, beliefs, and norms (socialization); and attracting and maintaining public attention for advertisers (attention merchant). We also identify challenges for TV news as a vehicle for improving public health, including declining audiences, industry changes such as station consolidation, increasingly politicized content, potential spread of misinformation, and lack of attention to inequity. We offer recommendations for public health practitioners and researchers to leverage TV news to improve public health and advance health equity.

中文翻译：

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电视新闻报道的公共卫生问题及其对公共卫生政策和实践的影响。

电视（TV）新闻，尤其是本地电视新闻，仍然是美国人获取有关健康相关主题信息的重要工具。在这篇综述中，我们综合了有关电视新闻在塑造公共卫生政策和实践中的四个主要功能的理论和证据：向公众报告事件和信息（监视）；以及向公众报告事件和信息。提供有关健康问题的背景和意义（解释）；培养社区价值观，信仰和规范（社会化）；并吸引并保持广告商（注意商户）的公众关注度。我们还将电视新闻的挑战视为改善公共卫生的一种手段，其中包括观众人数减少，电视台合并等行业变化，内容日益政治化，错误信息的潜在传播以及对不平等现象的关注。