Wine under the magnifying glass: how media coverage colours the alcohol debate

Those who follow the media can hardly fail to notice: the tone around booze, and wine in particular, is becoming increasingly critical. Lifestyle journalist Felicity Carter examined articles by The New York Times and discovered why they do it. And it has nothing to do with health.
Text: Ingrid Larmoyeur (The Wine Institute) | Image: Unsplash

According to Carter, it is mainly about the revenue model of big media. Big newspapers such as The New York Times drive their online content heavily on data: which articles are most clicked, shared and discussed? Health scores. Risk scores. “This could shorten your life” scores even better.

Attention and commitment

Alcohol fits perfectly into that list. Themes around health, lifestyle and life expectancy appeal to a large audience. As a result, relatively many articles appear that highlight the risks of alcohol. Not so much because of an anti-wine agenda, but because these kinds of topics simply attract a lot of attention and involvement.

This does not mean that health research is nonsense. The risks of excessive alcohol consumption are clear and deserve attention. At the same time, we see that the public debate sometimes makes little distinction: alcohol is quickly approached as one, with no distinction between abusive and moderate consumption.

Analysis

In her analysis, Carter points out that modern media strongly drive what attracts readers. Articles on health, risk and life expectancy are clicked and shared a lot. This influences not only the tone, but also the frequency with which such topics recur. Not necessarily from an ideological agenda, but from the digital revenue model in which attention is the main currency.

This is precisely why nuance is important. There is a clear difference between excessive drinking and deliberately enjoying a glass of wine with a meal or good conversation. “Enjoy, but drink in moderation” remains a sensible and realistic approach.

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