Representations of mpox in UK news media during the 2022 outbreak: a qualitative analysis

The 2022 global mpox outbreak was the first to involve sustained community transmission outside endemic regions, disproportionately affecting gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). News media plays a critical role during outbreaks by disseminating information, shaping public perception and influencing health protection behaviours. This qualitative study examined how UK news media represented mpox during the 2022 outbreak, with a particular focus on public health messaging and the discursive framing of affected communities.

Using the NexisUK® database, we retrieved UK print and online articles mentioning "mpox", "monkeypox", or "monkey pox" in headlines, published between May and December 2022. Five national newspapers were selected based on readership and political stance (The Times/Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Sun, The Daily Mail/Sunday Mail and the Daily Mirror/Sunday Mirror). Following deduplication and screening, we applied a rotating weekday sampling frame and analysed articles thematically in NVivo.

We identified 746 articles in the five selected newspapers between May and December 2022. Coverage peaked in May 2022 (n = 223 articles) and then waned, despite incident cases rising in June (n = 1,185) and July (n = 1,453). We analysed 79 sampled articles. Key themes included communication of mpox characteristics, delivery of health promotion, and 'anchoring' mpox to other infectious diseases (e.g. COVID-19, chickenpox) to aid understanding. Articles described mpox's epidemiological origins in Africa, transmission routes, and epidemiological updates, often noting transmission during GBMSM events. Public health messaging focused on advice about transmission reduction, access to care/prevention services, and vaccine availability (including concerns over supply). GBMSM were frequently depicted as being at high risk, sometimes drawing upon stereotypes and language that potentially reinforced stigma. Notably, few articles included perspectives from individuals with lived experience of mpox.

UK news media interest in mpox peaked early in the outbreak and waned despite rising cases. News media played a vital role in disseminating information and public health messaging (often drawing parallels with other familiar infections) but the framing of GBMSM may also have reinforced stigma. The absence of personal testimonies represents a missed opportunity for inclusive messaging. Future outbreak reporting should involve affected communities to co-produce and promote accurate, non-stigmatising communication.