Medical Scientists and Health News Reporting: A Case of Miscommunication

Abstract

The public is poorly served by the coverage of medical science in the general press. Scientists and physicians blame the press, claiming that journalists are careless in their reporting, subject to competitive pressures, and ignorant of the scientific process. Journalists accuse the medical community of limiting access to information and erecting barriers to the public dissemination of medical research. In many areas of health news reporting, the underlying problem is an interactive dynamic that involves scientists and journalists. Both parties share the responsibility for accurate communication to the public. This report suggests ways to improve health news reporting, focusing on four problem areas: sensationalism, biases and conflicts of interest, lack of follow-up, and stories that are not covered.

Coverage by the News Media of the Benefits and Risks of Medications

“…25 Because evidence suggests that commercial funding may sometimes be associated with study outcomes that are more favorable to sponsors' products, disclosure of such funding in media stories, as is done in a number of major peer-reviewed journals, may be desirable. [26][27][28] We studied news stories about three medications that are used for the prevention of major diseases.…”

Jornalismo de saúde: novos rumos, novas literacias

“…Alguns autores argumentam que a cobertura jornalística de saúde tem resvalado, até de forma sistemática, para o sensacionalismo, a banalização, a parcialidade e a imperícia dos temas cobertos (Johnson, 1998;Seale, 2002;Shuchman & Wilkes, 1997;Shwitzer, 2008).…”

The cigar revival and the popular press: a content analysis, 1987-1997

“…7,[15][16][17][18] Good health reporting is a shared responsibility of journalists and health professionals. 19 Although health advocates have effectively increased awareness of the risks of cigarettes, this study suggests that they have been less effective in challenging industry portrayals of cigars. Overall, print media portrayed cigars favorably, linked cigars with popular celebrities, failed to provide health information, and generally framed cigar use as a trendy habit or lucrative business rather than as a health risk.…”

“…Portions of this paper were presented at the 126th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association; November [15][16][17][18][19] 1998; Washington, DC, and the 127th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association; November 7-11, 1999; Chicago, Ill.…”