“Take Personal Responsibility”: Individualization in Turkish Diabetes News and the Missing Public

Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and receives significant public attention due to its complexity and association with multiple comorbidities. However, it is often framed in public discourse as a condition stemming primarily from individual behaviors and manageable through personal lifestyle changes. The media plays a pivotal role in shaping and reinforcing such perceptions, yet its role in constructing narratives around diabetes care and responsibility remains underexplored. In this study, we conducted a qualitative content analysis of reports published in two widely circulated national newspapers in Türkiye representing opposing political orientations to examine how diabetes is represented in the media. We analyzed the framing of disease causes, risks, and treatment approaches, as well as thematic orientations and sourcing practices in news production. Our findings indicate that diabetes is consistently presented through an individualized lens across both outlets. News coverage relies heavily on single-expert sourcing, while public health perspectives, social determinants of health, and structural prevention measures receive limited attention. Conceptual imprecision in reporting frequently blurs distinctions between causes, risks, symptoms, and complications, undermining health literacy and contributing to confusion about disease prevention and management. Treatment and prevention are commonly framed through lifestyle and dietary suggestions that are weakly connected to evidence-based care. In addition, attention-grabbing narratives rarely distinguish between diabetes subtypes, further reinforcing misinterpretations of risk and responsibility. Notably, these patterns persist despite the newspapers’ opposing political orientations. Overall, the findings underscore the need for more accurate, contextualized, and evidence-informed health communication on diabetes.