Through a content analysis of cougar-related media coverage in the Los Angeles Times, this study examines how people’s attitudes toward cougars shifted between the years 1985 and 1995.

There has been long standing debate in California about the protection of cougars from sport hunting or other methods of population reduction. In fact, human-cougar interaction is relatively rare, and the threat posed to humans is low.

Media coverage is critical to shaping public opinion toward animals. Through story selection, story emphasis and other editorial decisions, journalists influence the amount and type of information available to consumers. Between January 1, 1985 and April 30, 1995, the Los Angeles Times printed 79 cougar-related articles, considered in this research to be the best reflection of public attitude shifts over this time period.

Of these 79 articles, 43% were supportive, 36% were negative, and 22% were neutral. Of the supportive articles, 53% expressed direct concern for the safety of cougars, while 74% responded to proposed changes legislation to permit cougar hunting. Anti-hunting sentiments were present in over 70% of the supportive articles.

In the 36% of articles that had a negative tone, cougars were portrayed as a disruption to urban life, a nuisance to society, or a threat to humans. The cougar’s threat to humans was expressed in three-quarter of the negative articles, and nearly all of these included descriptions of cougar incidents and attacks.

Of the neutral articles, the two main themes were cougar legislation and management concerns (63%) and threats to human safety (44%). The most common attitudes were “neutralistic” (69%) and “scientistic” (31%).