This study examines newspaper coverage of hospitals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, comparing it with internal hospital data. The research used a mixed methods longitudinal design, analyzing 763 pages of internal documents and 635 minutes of video communications from five hospitals, alongside 14,401 newspaper articles. The study identified 12 themes, including COVID-19 capacity, regular care capacity, public support, and policies and protocols. Newspaper articles focused more on themes like COVID-19 capacity, regular care capacity, and public support, while covering less on material resources and policies and protocols. Differences in attention to themes were observed between the first and second waves of the pandemic and at the end of the third wave. Newspaper articles sometimes covered themes before internal documents. The study found no evidence of misinformation in the articles. The findings suggest that newspapers can be a credible source of information for the public during health crises, and that both media and hospitals should be aware of their gatekeeping roles in information distribution. The study highlights the importance of accurate and timely communication during health crises, and the value of newspapers in informing the public and helping hospitals anticipate internal and external developments.This study examines newspaper coverage of hospitals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, comparing it with internal hospital data. The research used a mixed methods longitudinal design, analyzing 763 pages of internal documents and 635 minutes of video communications from five hospitals, alongside 14,401 newspaper articles. The study identified 12 themes, including COVID-19 capacity, regular care capacity, public support, and policies and protocols. Newspaper articles focused more on themes like COVID-19 capacity, regular care capacity, and public support, while covering less on material resources and policies and protocols. Differences in attention to themes were observed between the first and second waves of the pandemic and at the end of the third wave. Newspaper articles sometimes covered themes before internal documents. The study found no evidence of misinformation in the articles. The findings suggest that newspapers can be a credible source of information for the public during health crises, and that both media and hospitals should be aware of their gatekeeping roles in information distribution. The study highlights the importance of accurate and timely communication during health crises, and the value of newspapers in informing the public and helping hospitals anticipate internal and external developments.