| Summary: | More and more individuals are turning to the mass media in search of information related to health care. Moreover, health care accounts for an important percentage of modern economies and household expenses. Since the 1990s, this demand has been to a degree satisfied by free healthcare magazines that offer useful advice and information related to health services and wellness. As the article argues, Spain can be a representative case for analyzing the health care magazine phenomenon. Using a methodology based on quantitative and qualitative variables, the article synthesizes the results of a broader research project carried out between 2012 and 2015, focusing on the news content and advertising in three free health and wellness magazines aimed at the general public in Spain: El Periódico de la Farmacia (The Pharmacy Newspaper), Estar bien (Feeling Well), and Health 21 (Salud 21). The conclusions discuss the main features and dimensions of these publications from an educational and social viewpoint, considering their fight for survival in an environment conditioned by financial crisis, competition from online publications, and the decrease in advertising and marketing specializing in health.
|
|---|
