List of coded variables
| Variable | Definition |
|---|---|
| Date of publication | Day, month, and year of the publication of the article |
| Newspaper name | Name of the newspaper from which the article was obtained |
| Early general news | Coded “yes” if the article is published in the first four pages of the newspaper |
| Image | Coded “yes” if any kind of cartoon, photo, picture, drawing, graph, or table accompanies the news story |
| Type of article | (1) News (factual accounts of issues and events); (2) editorial (column stating opinion of newspaper on various issues); (3) letter (usually the opinion of a member of the public); (4) column or opinion editorial (comment with a strong opinion by an individual); (5) image without story (a photo or image that often has a one line descriptive caption); (6) information (about specific programmes, includes health columns); (7) question & answer (questions from the public to people who give advice); (8) other (any news article that does not fit above categories) |
| Themes | Articles coded for one dominant theme out of 13 options: (1) health effects of smoking; (2) second hand smoke issues and restrictions; (3) tobacco consumption; (4) tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship; (5) economic issues; (6) farming and trade; (7) product issues; (8) addiction; (9) youth access issues; (10) education, prevention, and cessation programmes, services and campaigns; (11) environmental damage (such as fires or litter); (12) tobacco industry (including finance reports); (13) other |
| Event slant | The newsworthy event or item relevant to tobacco issues that is being covered in the article. Coded as either: (1) positive for tobacco control; (2) negative for tobacco control; (3) mixed impact on tobacco control; or (4) neutral for tobacco control |
| Opinion slant | The dominant view or opinion being put forth by the author was coded as either: (1) positive for tobacco control; (2) negative for tobacco control; (3) mixed impact on tobacco control; or (4) neutral for tobacco control |