Is the Medium Distorting the Message? How the News Media Communicates Advances in Medical Research to the Public

Authors

  • Brent M. McGrath Class of 2010 Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie University
  • Ronak K. Kapadia Class of 2010 Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15273/dmj.Vol36No1.3871

Abstract

Among the medically lay public, the news media is one of the primary sources for information on current trends and research findings in health prevention, promotion and treatment. Research suggests that more than 75% of people act on such information, with a large number of individuals acting solely based on news media reports, with little or no expert consultation. This highlights the influential role of
the lay press in issues of population health. However, it has often been noted that information regarding methodology, study limitations, financial support, conflicts of interest, and absolute results are often excluded in news media reports on medical issues. A non-systematic review of studies employing content analysis to assess the quality of medical reporting was conducted. The review highlights a variety of
common deficiencies in healthcare reporting. The authors make specific recommendations to both scientists and members of the news media to improve healthcare reporting in areas where evidence of deficiencies exist.

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Published

2009-06-12

How to Cite

McGrath, B. M., & Kapadia, R. K. (2009). Is the Medium Distorting the Message? How the News Media Communicates Advances in Medical Research to the Public. DALHOUSIE MEDICAL JOURNAL, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.15273/dmj.Vol36No1.3871

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 1 (2009)

Section

Research

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