NOTE TO READERS: When this project lost substantial funding at the end of 2018, I lost the ability to continue publishing criteria-driven news story reviews and PR news release reviews - once the bread-and-butter of the site going back to 2006. The 3,200 archived reviews, while still educational, are getting old and difficult for me to technically maintain on the back end of the website. So I am announcing that I plan to remove these reviews from the site by April 1, 2021. The blog and the toolkit - two of the most popular features on the site - will remain. If you wish to peruse the reviews before they disappear, please do so by the end of March 2021. After that date you may still be able to access them via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine - https://archive.org/web/.
December 19, 2018 | Story Review

Guardian jumps to conclusions about an Alzheimer’s study that hasn’t even begun

The story’s headline states: “Virtual reality to help detect early risk of Alzheimer’s.” That is misleading. The researchers haven’t even recruited study participants yet, much less conducted the study or analyzed the results.

1 Star

Virtual reality to help detect early risk of Alzheimer’s

December 18, 2018 | Story Review

In story on experimental contraceptive gel, Reuters lets drug company control the narrative

This leaves both investors and lay audiences without enough information to evaluate how useful the new product will be, should it pass muster with the FDA.

3 Star

Evofem's birth control gel meets main study goal; shares rise

December 17, 2018 | Story Review

Using a single patient anecdote, ABC News hails DNA fertility test as ‘breakthrough’

Breakthrough? Based on the story of one patient?  We’re told the procedure hasn’t been done often. But how often, and what happened to the other women?

2 Star

How a breakthrough new fertility test is offering hope for families who have suffered miscarriages

December 13, 2018 | Story Review

Hard to find the journalism in this brief Reuters story on clinical trial results for psoriasis drug

The story mostly just rehashes a drug company news release.

2 Star

J&J says its psoriasis drug superior to Novartis' in study

December 10, 2018 | Story Review

A little more context would have boosted already-strong HealthDay story on drug for hot flashes

Did the study findings really earn a label of “game-changing?”

5 Star

Incontinence Drug May Cut Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors

December 6, 2018 | Story Review

Props to NPR for highlighting the need for balanced decision-making around statins

This story could have provided a bit more on costs, alternatives, and how this study was performed.

4 Star

Before Starting A Statin, Talk It Over With Your Doctor

November 30, 2018 | Story Review

Independent source injects caution into a HeathDay story on ‘nerve zap’ for back pain

It’s too bad those comments don’t appear until the end.

3 Star

Nerve Zap Might Ease Pain of Herniated Disk

November 29, 2018 | Story Review

Newsweek trumpets an ‘aggressive’ new cancer drug, but where’s the data?

This story relies on a news release, and it’s full of holes. Cost, harms, evidence, who might benefit — all go unaddressed.

1 Star

CURE FOR CANCER? FDA ANNOUNCES NEW AGGRESSIVE DRUG ATTACKING ORIGINATING GENES

November 28, 2018 | Story Review

USA Today provides rosy speculation about an Alzheimer’s vaccine not yet tested in humans

The story played up wishful conjecture about slashing dementia cases in half.

3 Star

Researcher: Alzheimer's vaccine could cut dementia in half, human trials may be next

November 20, 2018 | Story Review

CNN delivers a balanced report on peanut allergy treatment

One girl’s story illustrates harms as well as benefits.

5 Star

Experimental treatment helps 2 out of 3 peanut allergy sufferers, study finds

View More

Story Reviews

Systematic, Criteria-Driven

News Organizations’ Overall Grades

@HealthNewsRevu

HealthNewsRevuHealthNewsReview.org@HealthNewsRevu·

Our 3,222 reviews of health care journalism & PR will be gone soon. The rest of the website will remain. Read details. https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2021/01/our-3222-systematic-reviews-of-journalism-pr-will-be-gone-soon/

Reply on Twitter 1351160348615782403Retweet on Twitter 13511603486157824031Like on Twitter 1351160348615782403Twitter 1351160348615782403
HealthNewsRevuHealthNewsReview.org@HealthNewsRevu·

Year-ender: links to all 44 articles I published in 2020 - a year of too-frequent distortion, deceit and misinformation, worst I’ve seen in my 47-year career. https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2020/12/reflections-on-2020-you-cant-mask-this-reality/

Reply on Twitter 1343561730203525122Retweet on Twitter 13435617302035251229Like on Twitter 13435617302035251227Twitter 1343561730203525122
Retweet on TwitterHealthNewsReview.org Retweeted
IJNetIJNet@IJNet·

“The distinction between what we do know and what we do not yet understand should be explained more often and more clearly in our coverage,” said @garyschwitzer. Journalists need to get past press releases from drug companies, but also debunk conspiracies. https://buff.ly/2LX9MVo

Reply on Twitter 1342696898508029952Retweet on Twitter 13426968985080299525Like on Twitter 13426968985080299529Twitter 1342696898508029952
View More

Categories

Toolkit

Tips & Resources for Analyzing Health Care Claims

Surrogate markers may not tell the whole story

Screening: How overdiagnosis and other harms can undermine the benefits

A place to tell stories of patient harm from misleading media

View More

Toolkit