Add to the mix of global efforts to critically analyze health care news stories a Swedish project called KritiKAM. This one looks only at stories about complementary and alternative medicine. It’s part of a broader site from the Integrative Care Science Center in Stockholm – most of which is translated into English. You can read background about the KritiKam project in English, but the story reviews have not yet been translated. Google Translate can be used to give you a sense of how the reviews are done – a process very similar to that employed by the various Media Doctor sites around the globe and by HealthNewsReview.org.
In recent years I’ve had occasional contact with health journalist David Finer of Stockholm, who is web editor of the project and one of the reviewers. He tells me that he hopes for future funding to allow for evidence-based analysis of all types of health news in Sweden.
Funding has become a critical issue for many such project. Media Doctor Australia, the pioneer of such efforts, published its last review 8 months ago and announced in November that financial and human resources had run out after 8 years. Media Doctor Canada has also shut down for similar reasons. Funding for our own project is in jeopardy – with a loss of funding probable by July 1.
Here’s a screenshot of a translation of one of the KritiKam story reviews:
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Puleeeeease... this 'game changer' weight loss drug causes more nausea and vomiting than a placebo. Some game, some change. My friend Gary would spank you for using the eighth word medical reporters should never, ever use. @garyschwitzer @thackerpd
https://www.healthnewsreview.org/toolkit/just-journalists-writing-tips-case-studies/7-words-and-more-you-shouldnt-use-in-medical-news/ https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1361426796126830597
A scary @statnews Op-Ed warns that govt attempts to rein in Pharma may cut off access to "life-changing" drugs.
It takes @garyschwitzer to let us know: the author spent 10 years as Pfizer's public-policy chief. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1360325022578053123
.@TranspariMED criticizes STAT op-ed for not disclosing pharma funding of author’s institute - similar to criticism we’ve made of STAT op-eds in the past. @transparify @ThinkTankWatch @icer_review https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2021/02/transparency-watchdog-criticizes-stats-non-disclosure-on-pro-pharma-op-ed/
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