Social work in the press: a cross-national study

This study examined the image of social work in newspapers in the United States and the United Kingdom. Using the LEXIS-NEXIS database of full text articles, a sample of 20 constructed weeks were randomly drawn from 60 major dailies over a four-and-a-half-year period, yielding 399 articles in which reference was made to social work. Ratings of the image of social work were largely positive in the USA; in the UK more stories had negative than positive ratings. In both countries stories about child welfare practice were rated more negatively than other fields. Positive images of the profession were most likely to occur in stories in which social workers were portrayed as experts, presented programme innovations, or were described as carrying out interesting practice activities.