Does television reflect the evolution of scientific knowledge? The case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder coverage on French television

Abstract

Biomedical findings mature from uncertain observations to validated facts. Although subsequent studies often refute initial appealing findings, newspapers privilege the latter and often fail to cover refutations. Thus, biomedical knowledge and media reporting may diverge with time. Here we investigated how French television reported on three scientific questions relative to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from 1995 to 2010: i) is ADHD mainly genetic in origin, ii) does methylphenidate treatment decrease the risk of academic underachievement, and iii) are brain imaging techniques able to reveal ADHD in individual patients? Although scientific evidence regarding these questions has evolved during these 16 years, we observed that nine out of ten TV programs broadcast between 2007 and 2010 still expressed only opinions against the current scientific consensuses. The failure of TV programs to reflect the evolution of the scientific knowledge might be related to a biased selection of medical experts.

How French media have portrayed ADHD to the lay public and to social workers

“…First, 16 out of 60 French TV programmes discussed the contribution of genetic factors to ADHD and 11 of them claimed that ADHD is a genetic disease without giving voice to opposite opinions (Bourdaa et al, 2015). Second, six TV programmes showed brain scans on screen and erroneously claimed that brain imaging can reveal ADHD.…”

“…However, we can say that among the 41 distinct experts that were invited to give their opinion in TV programmes, psychoanalysts were less numerous than in the general press. All four TV experts that were often invited by TV producers (three to six programmes) defended the biomedical model (Bourdaa et al, 2015). These experts were also the authors of articles in the specialized press and were interviewed by journalists of the general press.…”

“…We have already published two studies investigating how ADHD is portrayed by French media (Bourdaa et al, 2015; Ponnou, Kohout-Diaz, & Gonon, 2015). In the first one, we analysed 60 TV programmes (including news, talk shows and debates, but excluding fiction) broadcast from 1995 to 2010.…”

“…Even in the most recent period (2007–2010), nine out of 10 TV programmes still claimed that ADHD is a genetic disease, that medication counteracts the risk of academic underachievement and that brain imaging can be used as a diagnostic tool. Thus, the biological repertoire dominated French TV programmes reporting on ADHD without obvious change for 16 years (Bourdaa et al, 2015). …”

L’autisme dans la presse spécialisée destinée aux travailleurs sociaux : évolution des discours, enjeux de pratique, de recherche et de formation

“…Ces déformations, qui ont fait l' objet d'importantes études dans les médias anglo-saxons et français (Bourdaa et al, 2013 ;Gonon, Bézard, & Boraud, 2011 ;Gonon, Konsman, Cohen, & Boraud, 2012 ;Horton-Salway, 2011) ne transparaissent pas dans la littérature professionnelle : cette tendance a déjà été signalée dans une étude anglo-saxonne rapportant que, lorsque les scientifiques communiquent verbalement avec les journalistes, leurs affirmations vont parfois au-delà de ce qu'ils écrivent dans les revues scientifiques (Holtzman et al, 2005). Nous observons par ailleurs une nette prégnance du discours psychanalytique concernant les troubles mentaux et psychosociaux dans la presse spécialisée destinée aux travailleurs sociaux -aussi bien pour l'autisme que le TDAH.…”