In the media and communications field, research investigating the digital media engagements of very young children at home has largely been restricted to survey methods relying on parental self-reports. Recognizing that qualitative approaches can provide insights in families’ practices, values, and attitudes, we argue for the fruitfulness of an ethnographic perspective, drawing on three cases from the project “A Day in the Digital Lives of children 0–3;” two in Sweden and one in England. Using the concept of methodological responsibility, we (...) argue that methodology and ethics are intrinsically entwined. We offer reflections on dilemmas and challenges involved in our participatory work with children under three and their families, bringing attention to such issues as ensuring initial and ongoing consent, using a video camera in the home and data sharing and dissemination. Building trust in such sensitive work is a complex process but the rewards are considerable. (shrink)

This article reports on a study done in Sweden on how the daily press covers the theme of overweight/obesity. It deals with two questions: How is overweight framed in the media? and Which consequences can these framings have on public perceptions of overweight/obesity? The study is limited to media content in Swedish daily newspapers, 1997–2001. In all 1 925 articles from four different papers have been analysed. The study points out that overweight/obesity is most frequently presented as a health problem, (...) however the dominating frame in the news papers is overweight presented as a beauty dilemma. The two ways of constructing overweight comes along with different kind of information that leaves the potential reader with diverse impressions and solutions. The first frame appeals to reason and rationality, the latter mobilizes emotions and affect. When the reporters reduce the health problem to a matter of looks they underestimate the seriousness of this social problem, which might have undesirable effects on public perception of overweight. There are considerable gender dimensions in the coverage and overweight is mostly presented as a female problem. In the articles obese people are often stigmatized and gender stereotypes are frequently reproduced. There is on top of that and abundance of paradoxes in the material, which also makes it hard for the reader to orient herself in the crossfire of messages and gives little advice upon how to solve the problem of overweight. (shrink)

This article describes a policy-driven project Marketing of unhealthy food directed to children, which represents the first extensive study of food and beverage advertising and marketing to children in Sweden. The project mapped out food and beverage advertisements directed to Swedish children to provide policymakers with current data about marketing trends to inform the debate concerning the regulation of food advertising in response to childhood obesity. The nature, number and placement of advertisements on television and in the internet that encourage (...) children to buy food and beverages were surveyed during one week in 2005 and 2007. The article summarizes the TV and Internet study results, stakeholder views and public opinion, and discusses the policy implications of digital media and the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to Swedish children. (shrink)