Medical messages in the media – barriers and solutions to improving medical journalism

Abstract

Context Medical issues are widely reported in the mass media. These reports influence the general public, policy makers and health-care professionals. This information should be valid, but is often criticized for being speculative, inaccurate and misleading. An understanding of the obstacles medical reporters meet in their work can guide strategies for improving the informative value of medical journalism.Objective To investigate constraints on improving the informative value of medical reports in the mass media and elucidate possible strategies for addressing these.Design We reviewed the literature and organized focus groups, a survey of medical journalists in 37 countries, and semi-structured telephone interviews.Results We identified nine barriers to improving the informative value of medical journalism: lack of time, space and knowledge; competition for space and audience; difficulties with terminology; problems finding and using sources; problems with editors and commercialism. Lack of time, space and knowledge were the most common obstacles. The importance of different obstacles varied with the type of media and experience. Many health reporters feel that it is difficult to find independent experts willing to assist journalists, and also think that editors need more education in critical appraisal of medical news. Almost all of the respondents agreed that the informative value of their reporting is important. Nearly everyone wanted access to short, reliable and up-to-date background information on various topics available on the Internet. A majority (79%) was interested in participating in a trial to evaluate strategies to overcome identified constraints.Conclusion Medical journalists agree that the validity of medical reporting in the mass media is important. A majority acknowledge many constraints. Mutual efforts of health-care professionals and journalists employing a variety of strategies will be needed to address these constraints.

The Angelina effect: immediate reach, grasp, and impact of going public

“…20 Celebrities can successfully raise awareness about a health issue, but it is a greater challenge for health journalists to ensure accurate understanding. 22 This is difficult when the issue involves an understanding of risk and probabilities as is true of the genetic information that Angelina Jolie communicated. In this regard, approximately one-third of our respondents (31.7%) incorrectly predicted how many times a coin would come up heads in 1,000 coin flips.…”

“…It is recommended that clinicians seek ways to reach the most vulnerable and high-risk populations with clear and useful information. 4,10,22 Preparing for inevitable future events similar to the Angelina Jolie's announcement involves transforming heightened public awareness into heightened public understanding and appropriate use of medical resources.…”

Joining the Conversation: Newspaper Journalists' Views on Working with Researchers

“…For health journalism in particular, remedies such as research appraisal training for journalists have been suggested to improve the accuracy and completeness of research coverage (e.g., Oxman et al 1993;Larsson et al 2003;Moynihan 2003;Schwartz and Woloshin 2004). Health news coverage can be inaccurate or incomplete, with important consequences for health and healthcare at times (e.g., Cassels et al 2003).…”

“…Health researchers have also established that news coverage of therapeutic risks and benefits can be inaccurate or incomplete, raising concerns that media can encourage inappropriate changes in behaviour and services utilization (Moynihan et al 2000;Cassels et al 2003). Consequently, many health researchers suggest interventions to make news coverage less "sensational" and more "evidence-based," for example, by training journalists in the critical appraisal of research evidence (e.g., Oxman et al 1993;Larsson et al 2003;Moynihan 2003;Schwartz and Woloshin 2004).…”

Información de salud en la prensa diaria argentina: adaptación al español y validación del cuestionario index of Scientific Quality para medir su calidad.

“…A tal fin se usaron diferentes métodos de medición para determinados temas específicos relacionados con salud; sólo un estudio utilizó un instrumento genérico correctamente desarrollado y validado que permitió medir la calidad de varios tópicos (8). Por otro lado, se han identificado algunos factores que podrían actuar como barreras para mejorar la calidad (9).…”