Comments on: Conflicts of interest in health care journalism. Who’s watching the watchdogs? We are. Part 1 of 3 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:02:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: Till Bruckner https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258790 Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:02:13 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258790 This mirrors long-standing discussions about the funding of think tanks. You may enjoy the discussions here, and also the methodology for assessing disclosure levels related to outside funding sources: http://www.transparify.org

]]> By: Till Bruckner https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258789 Thu, 15 Jun 2017 09:00:45 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258789 Journalists and outlets who cover politics usually don’t take money from political parties or PACs. Is there a fundamental difference to taking money from pharma companies?

]]> By: Gary Schwitzer https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258777 Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:02:02 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258777 Brad,

I’ve been here all along – for 11 years. But you’re correct: I’ve stepped back to a large degree from daily – and especially long-form writing – to become more of a public ambassador for this not-for-profit project and to pursue acceptable funding for our future – a daunting task. But another example of how we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk.

But to your question: I thought I had addressed that in this piece when I wrote:

Some news organizations might say, “Well, do you want us to go out of business?” That is a false dichotomy; it is not a choice between only two alternatives of “Take conflicted money or go out of business.” Have news organizations that accepted pharma funding first exhausted possibilities for foundation support?

My recurring question is “Why?” Why do news organizations that cover health care entities apparently feel that they must take money from those entities? I will address these questions again in part 3 of our series on Wednesday. Please keep coming back.

Gary Schwitzer
Publisher

]]> By: Susan Molchan https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258776 Mon, 12 Jun 2017 23:52:36 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258776 Great analogy–asking whether news organizations accept political news coverage sponsorship from the Trump 2020 campaign or The Tobacco Institute? Somehow the news (and plenty of other) organizations can still convince themselves that drug companies are there to primarily cure and stave off disease, rather than to sell, the primary function of any company.

]]> By: Brad Flansbaum https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258775 Mon, 12 Jun 2017 23:29:28 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258775 Gary
Its good to see you back in long form. I have missed your writing presence.

This is not a pushback or a challege. Its a legitimate question. You do address advertising dollars and COI above, something you have avoided assiduously. However, there are not probably not enough dollars to go around to support more than the likes of ProP and your site. (Incidentally, I don think Nike, health and wellness companies, or food concerns will step up, but thats my opinion.)

So my question is this. Is it better to have a well intellectualized, mainstream outlet doing investigative pieces and being transparent about sponsors–accepting potential harm–or not having the stories at all? My premise is this, and I am sure you will challenge: upsides>downsides.

Again, I am asking. I would like to hear your opinion.

THanks
Brad

]]> By: Alan Cassels https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258774 Mon, 12 Jun 2017 15:25:30 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258774 This first in the series on conflicts of interest in journalism is about the best thing I’ve read on the subject, ever. I like how it was peppered with the most exacting metaphor: pollution. “polluted stream of contaminated journalism”, “cesspool” etc.. Very vivid.
As one of the founders of the Cochrane Collaboration (Sir Muir Gray) once told me,
“We need clean, clear health information as urgently as we need clean, clear water.” When you think of the immense loss of life (especially among the young) that happens needlessly on the planet due to polluted drinking water, one cannot help but feel sorrow for the state of humanity. Ditto when we see public health information so carelessly, and needlessly polluted. Kudos for taking this on.

]]> By: J.Daniel Flaysakier https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2017/06/conflicts-of-interest-in-health-care-journalism-1-of-3/#comment-258772 Mon, 12 Jun 2017 13:19:59 +0000 https://www.healthnewsreview.org/?p=130338#comment-258772 On the other side of the ocean, here in the Old Europe, the problem does also exist . One example : for the recent ASCO meeting in Chicago sevral journalists from France have travelled to Chicago , slept and eaten at drug companies expenses. Some have even spent between zero and one hour at the conference venue. The companies were ‘kind enough’ to provide opinion leaders for daily briefings about what was ‘important’. As one may imagine it was a totally objective and unbiased approach !
What is funny is that these journalists work for news media which love to find scandals , real or false, in which physicians and drug companies are involved.

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