roles of communicators and journalists
“We create our papers with those readers in mind and shape our marketing and promotions to reinforce their values and interests.” In other words, the allocation of scarce resources in ever more stretched newsrooms is driven by what market researchers tell media managers about what AB audiences want to know about. The controversy surrounding these stories prompted the PLoS Medicine editors to ask health journalists, and others with an interest in media reporting of health, to share their views on the roles and responsibilities of the media in disseminating health information. There's a lack of special training for medical journalists (the general assignment reporter can expect to get thrown into the medical beat from time to time). This trend has led some TV medical reporting experts, such as Gary Schwitzer (formerly of CNN, now at the University of Minnesota, and a contributor to this PLoS Medicine debate) and Dr. Timothy Johnson (ABC News), to call for credentialing of medical journalists. Science communication is the practice of informing, educating, raising awareness of science-related topics, and increasing the sense of wonder about scientific discoveries and arguments. This may be achieved by citing earlier research on the topic and seeking out comments from independent experts who could put a new finding in perspective. I imagine something comparable occurs these days when the advance copies of leading medical journals cross science editors' computer screens. Whether it is preclinical news that is not ready for prime time, or clinical news that oozes optimism over unproven ideas, or a disdain for health policy news, television journalists seem to have abdicated their possible agenda-setting role. The print media are clearly superior to the online news services [12]. I have a special interest in how television journalists cover health and health policy news. The day the stock market crashed in 1987, the newsroom sounded like St. Peters Square on Easter. Drug regulatory authorities in India allow the sale of drugs—including pediatric formulations—that have never been approved in Western countries. They must investigate and report the possible links between researchers and private companies, researchers and public institutions, patient advocacy groups and their sponsors, celebrity spokespersons and their sponsors, and nonprofit health and professional organizations and their sponsors. But elsewhere in the story, it was reported that 12 percent of the women were taking the cholesterol-lowering medications and that only 1.4 percent of the total group contracted breast cancer. When reading medical news stories it is sometimes possible to tell whether the researchers and journals have done a good or bad job in communicating the essential facts to journalists. No, Is the Subject Area "Health education and awareness" applicable to this article? Such conflicts may not be readily apparent, so journalists must look for them as a routine part of story research and interviews. The main thesis and major points of the theory were first described in 1956 in The Naked Sun, a novel by Isaac Asimov.. Social Presence Theory is defined by the different apparent physical proximities produced by various media, the two more popular media being face-to-face communication and online interaction. Daniel Terdiman, Dan Rather: Journalism has lost its guts , CNET News.com, March 12, 2007 And, as also detailed further on this site’s corporate media concentration section , Dan Rather sees consolidation of power as a major problem: Usually local news reports are under 90 seconds. We work across the UK by building partnerships with national and local organisations that match our vision of a world where science is seen as a fundamental part of our culture and society. These journalists say that their primary concern is accurate, clear reporting—they are less concerned about the consequences of their story once it is published [1]. Editors, reporters, and writers need to scrutinize the terminology used in health news. People will be intensely interested in a story about a new drug if it purports to treat a condition that they or their relatives have, and the story may become the basis of discussions with their physician and subsequent treatment decisions. Health reporting does involve “telling a story,” but it also requires writers to take on additional responsibilities through the story cycle—finding the story, collecting information, and writing it. Have they presented the data in a fashion that is meaningful to health-care consumers? Research now needs to examine how patients use information they find within the media, and whether it does make a difference to the medical encounter. Schwitzer G, I would like to propose that rather than act as educators, the media can play a special role in providing a voice for people to express their experiences of illness and their interactions with the technologies of health. The foremost goal of the media industry is, not surprisingly, to make profit. Have they asked the tough questions of the researchers and their sponsors to figure out the significance of the results? Yes Despite the fact that American voters ranked health care as their third leading concern (after war and the economy) [7], the three stations I monitored devoted little time to health policy issues. In our view journalists will meet their responsibilities if they cover certain key issues when writing stories about new medical treatments. Also, people who go into journalism and ascend to management tend to be more inclined toward writing and creative interests. e215. As two-way communicators, public relations practitioners interact directly with key publics, relaying the resulting information (with recommendations) to other members of the management team. Today, the business is known for its commitment to using technology to transform the way in which journalists, politicians and online influencers access trusted, expert insight. I would argue, that rather than being much maligned by health professionals, the media should be viewed as a tool that allows healing by facilitating the telling of stories. Health reporting is a major growth area for the media, probably because it is in demand by the public and it is profitable. There might be others relevant depending upon the role. Competing interests: The Integrity in Science Project, of which MG is the director, is funded in part by several foundations with a pro-environmentalist concern about industry influence over the scientific process and government advisory process. These include the accurate reporting of the comparative benefits, harms, and costs of the treatment and the extent to which their informants have ties with the manufacturer. Indeed, many journalists have become celebrities themselves. It lists the media as a partner in the strategy, together with consumers, health professionals, government, and the pharmaceutical industry. Medical news is often simplified, or worse, sensationalized, because of industry pressures. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020215.g001. PLOS Medicine publishes research and commentary of general interest with clear implications for patient care, public policy or clinical research agendas. Vested interests are not unique to medicine, but reporting on a new drug is different from, say, an MP3 player or a dishwasher. Yet three days after the report came out, reporters at Newsday broke the story that eight of nine physicians on the National Cholesterol Education Project panel had financial ties to statin manufacturers, which had the most to gain from the new guidelines. Media Doctor is a Web site where the quality of stories in the Australian press is reviewed (www.mediadoctor.org.au). A “lifesaving” drug that shrinks tumors by 50 percent sounds a lot better than a chemotherapy agent that prolongs life by two months. But that approach may result in shoddy journalism and potential harm to the public [2]. A bell rang whenever a major story broke. General News of Friday, 26 February 2021. In our current era of entanglement, journalists must investigate and report the possible conflicts of interest among sources of health information and those who promote a new idea or therapy. A top international science magazine last year reported that a novel stem cell therapy had cured patients with chronic aplastic anemia in Bombay, India [8]. Within the traditional health setting, lengthy communication between medical professionals and clients is often not possible. Some believe they are there for the public interest, or even to interest the public. Health reporters need to find out who has funded the research and who might be likely to gain. They also include new media (the Internet), other print media, and small-scale media, such as leaflets and posters, and even the messages on the pens given out by pharmaceutical representatives. View For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click Some specialized skills, knowledge, and judgment are helpful. Presidential candidates' health policy platforms drew a combined total of seven minutes of news—an average of 23 seconds per story, or about 15 seconds per station per month of the 2004 campaign. Yes By continuing to navigate on this website, you accept the use of cookies. Nor can the compliance of journalists be assumed. No, Is the Subject Area "Finance" applicable to this article? A senior manager at one of Australia's major newspaper groups recently explained why his company is focusing on boosting AB readership rather than total circulation [22]. However, media coverage of medical news is generally of poor quality, particularly stories about new treatments [10–12]. There may be too much news about the delivery of medical services and not enough news about the cost of, quality of, and evidence for those services. My analysis shows that in ten months (326 hours of stations' key late night newscasts) on these three stations, there was only one story on the uninsured. In a health-care environment that is increasingly cost-constrained, it shouldn't be too much to ask that medical reporters get beyond the hype and hope when reporting on the latest “breakthrough.”. Researchers should consider carefully what they wish to convey about the results of a new study and should ask to see and edit any press releases. The story was apparently based on claims made by the developers of the therapy, a private British company. Many initiatives aimed at influencing health coverage target journalists, who are only one component of the media industry. correction. Not coincidentally, this has benefits for their employers—nothing sells like celebrity. For each competency, we have identified core skills and knowledge applicable to all communicators. In December 2004 three news stories in the popular press suggested that the side effects of single-dose nevirapine, which has been proven to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, had been covered up. et al. Emergence and definition. Helping bridge the communication gap between journalists and scientists. No, Is the Subject Area "Medical journals" applicable to this article? Journalists and authors of different trade books increasingly assert women advantages in leadership when compared to men. Such situations demand interpretative and analytical skills on the part of health writers. From a federal level with Dr. Theresa Tam, to Ontario’s Dr. David Williams and Alberta’s Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Canada's top doctors have been in the spotlight since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020.. For example, some information based on poorly designed or poorly powered studies should not be reported unless the flaws are emphasized. It is intended as an aid for professional communicators, such as journalists, writers, producers and broadcasters, and provides suggestions for appropriate language, interviewing techniques and media ... number of roles such as parent, friend, work colleague and club member. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Accessibility. Furthermore, news directors, producers, and promotions staff don't seem to be themselves interested in learning about medical reporting. Only by massaging the numbers could one figure out that physicians would need to put 700 women on statins to eliminate one cancer case (in medical parlance, this is called number needed to treat). It is important that the public understands this. As a recognized leader in educating journalists and communicators, Medill teaches its students techniques specific to news and information industries: magazine, newspaper/online, broadcast, or marketing communications. Many other factors also shape and influence news production. [Journalists] shouldn’t be willing to water down the truth to protect their access to power.