The Future of Health Care Journalism

The shelf lives of some fitness/health truths have expired even before publication.

If you are uninterested in suffering from the misinformation of the MSM and others, this is a worthwhile read. A synopsis of the findings can be found here.

"The survey and the journalist interviews I conducted carry a powerful message about the threat to the flow of meaningful health news to the American public. Here are some of the data that trouble me:

• 94% of survey respondents say the bottom line pressure in media organizations is seriously hurting the quality of news coverage of health care issues;

• 88% of survey respondents think health care coverage leans too much toward short “quick hit” stories, and two-thirds (64%) say the trend toward shorter stories has gotten worse in the past few years.

• A majority of respondents (52%) say there is too much coverage of consumer or lifestyle health, and too little of health policy (70%), health care quality (70%), and health disparities (69%).

• Just under half (44%) of staff journalists participating in the survey say that their organization sometimes (33%) or frequently (10%) bases stories on news releases without substantial additional reporting.

• About one in 10 staff journalists in the survey (11%) say his or her own organization sometimes or frequently allows advertisers, sales staff or sponsors to influence story selection or content and another 21% say this occurs rarely.

I am not at all comforted by this and do not see this as “only” 11%. In discussing serious ethical breaches, even “rare” events are important. So I read it as 32% of respondents acknowledging that their news organizations sometimes allow advertisers or sponsors to influence health care news.

That is an amazing admission and perhaps the most troubling finding in the entire survey.

So on the eve of what may be the most important health policy discussion in this country in 15 years, we’re covering these topics less frequently.

Instead, our news organizations often cover cutesy, soft, fluffy, news you can use features.

Or our news organizations often make it seem like every medical journal, every scientific meeting is like Christmas Day with terrific new toys under the tree that have no side effects and no price tag."

The bottom line is that you are being duped by IMHO crooked media persons like Oprah and her experts and the hosts of The View (who promote popular and IMHO ridiculous diets), as well as media companies that promote IMHO crap, like Rodale the company that does Prevention magazine and ABCNews the outlet for Oprah and her people.

Generally speaking, the smartest thing you can do when the MSM offer a "health" story is to cover your ears and loudly yell, "La La La La La La La...!"

If you don't want to get sick, that is.