Is the Medium Distorting the Message? How the News Media Communicates Advances in Medical Research to the Public

Abstract

Among the medically lay public, the news media is one of the primary sources for information on current trends and research findings in health prevention, promotion and treatment. Research suggests that more than 75% of people act on such information, with a large number of individuals acting solely based on news media reports, with little or no expert consultation. This highlights the influential role of the lay press in issues of population health. However, it has often been noted that information regarding methodology, study limitations, financial support, conflicts of interest, and absolute results are often excluded in news media reports on medical issues. A non-systematic review of studies employing content analysis to assess the quality of medical reporting was conducted. The review highlights a variety of common deficiencies in healthcare reporting. The authors make specific recommendations to both scientists and members of the news media to improve healthcare reporting in areas where evidence of deficiencies exist.

Health Information Quality of Online Newspaper Articles in Korea

“…Moreover, the accuracy and reliability of health information varies considerably and can be misleading. 8,9) The same is true for press releases reporting medical research findings. [10][11][12][13] Health information is also considered a social determinant of health because it can have negative consequences if it is incomplete or inaccurate.…”

Retos y perspectivas en el ecosistema de la información biomédica

“…Sin embargo, esta información es a menudo deficiente y, más que informar, puede desinformar y confundir, crear ansiedad y propiciar que el ciudadano tome decisiones equivocadas (Goldacre, 2007;Schwitzer, 2008). Numerosas investigaciones han constatado que las noticias médicas adolecen de sensacionalismo, incompletitud, imprecisión, intereses ocultos, sesgos varios, falta de rigor y otras deficiencias (Moynihan et al, 2000;Smith, 2005;Hochman et al, 2008;Reid;Malone, 2008;Lai;Lane, 2009;McGrath;Kapadia, 2009;Casino, 2015a). El problema de la desinformación se ha agravado paulatinamente con la recirculación de los mensajes en las redes sociales y su degradación en los sucesivos flujos y reflujos informativos.…”