For the past 11 years, HealthNewsReview.org has helped journalists find industry-independent experts to use as sources in their stories. It’s an effort begun by journalists Jeanne Lenzer and Shannon Brownlee (now a VP at the Lown Institute), but joined by me and Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, of Georgetown not long after. You can read more about […]
Fact-checking has become one of the buzziest buzzwords in journalism. There are more than 100 fact-checking projects around the world. It’s been trotted out to counter alleged “fake” news. And to monitor the accuracy of political leaders who stretch the boundaries of believability. April 2 has been proclaimed International Fact-Checking Day. Indeed, genuine fact-checking may play an important […]
The title of the article that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine was too tempting for many journalists – “Blindness Caused By A Junk Food Diet.” It was an article about the experience of one teenage boy. Stories were rushed to publication by CBS, TIME, NBC, USA Today, The Guardian, WebMD, Newsweek and countless […]
As a kid, I remember the song, “June is bustin’ out all over” from the musical Carousel. These days, June is Men’s Health Month, and with it comes some helpful reminders. But Twitter is bustin’ out all over with balderdash, baloney and BS on many men’s health topics. If you visit the #MensHealthMonth hashtag on […]
As crazy as our headline sounds, it is merely taking CNN’s headline, below, and spreading it out over a year. CNN quoted one of the researchers: The main message for people to take away from this is that coffee can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle, and coffee lovers can be reassured by […]
In People magazine’s latest cover story, Alex Trebek said his advanced pancreatic cancer is in “near remission.” People portrayed this as a dramatic turnaround: When Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer three months ago, fans were shocked. But now the beloved Trebek has good news to share: He’s in “near […]
In CNN’s reality-based series, “Chasing Life,” correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta travels to far-flung reaches of the planet to explore health care practices rooted in cultural traditions. The show — which is available on the streaming platform CNNgo — was produced by the same division that created Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, and it was clearly designed […]
The more you screen, the more you find. And the more you find, the more you find that is not really something you needed to — or wanted to — find. That’s true with just about any health screening test. And you can include hernia screening. Yes, hernia screening, which has become a big-time target […]
STAT does some great stuff. And some clunkers. They get enough praise for the great stuff, but not enough scrutiny of the clunkers. This is one such example. A story based on very preliminary research touted the early work in very promotional tones. A smartphone app could help diagnose ear infections more accurately — and […]
Let me count the ways in which I am moved to write about another unwell piece in the New York Times Well section – “Statins May Cut Glaucoma Risk.” Let’s begin with the first line: “More good news about cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.” No, it’s not good news. There’s no “take it to the bank” definitive […]
Opinions on other issues in news, journals, PR, advertising, marketing
There's pervasive media bias toward hyping treatment benefits while neglecting negative results & harms.
Big part of this is reliance on experts with financial &/or intellectual conflicts of interest.
Att'n journalists: Use this list 100 independent experts to correct imbalance https://t.co/Twzc1Sp8Vw
Even when stories get the facts right, they often fail to provide crucial context and caveats that would help audiences make sense of the news — or lack thereof, says @garyschwitzer of @HealthNewsRevu https://t.co/b7YO2fYt0a
Tips & Resources for Analyzing Health Care Claims
