Public health officials' attitudes toward the media reporting of foodservice inspection reports

Jeffery D Elsworth, Purdue University

Abstract

The public concern for safe food has been a topic of increasing interest. More and more media outlets are publishing the health inspection scores and reports in their newspapers, on television and radio and on the Internet. Health agencies and local regulations are requiring restaurants to post their inspection ratings publicly on the premises. The purpose of this research is twofold. The first purpose is to develop and test a measure for determining foodservice and health agency professionals' attitude toward the media reporting of health inspection reports. The second purpose is to develop a web based survey instrument to deliver the questionnaire. Public health officials' attitudes toward foodservice professionals, health inspection professionals, media reporting of inspection reports and the inspection process was measured using a scale based on semantic differential theory. Common bi-polar adjectives were used to ascertain attitudes in each of the four subject areas. An important finding of the study was that public health officials' attitudes toward foodservice professionals' influence on inspection and media reporting, attitudes toward media reporting, attitude toward the inspection process, and experience as a foodservice inspector were all influential on the perceived relationship between inspectors and foodservice professionals.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Almanza, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Business administration|Journalism|Public health|Education|Communication

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