Certifying Health News Reporters and Journalists
How many times do we believe all or most of the things we read? Grad school taught me one very important skill - how to evaluate scientific studies for their strengths and weaknesses. The problem: many health reporters don’t have the necessary qualifications to be skeptical, so it’s often like the blind leading the blind.
Gary Schwitzer, director of the Health Journalism graduate program at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, recently suggested that health reporters and journalists be certified for their job. (On The Media, July 29, 2005)
I have proposed voluntary certification of only television health news reporters and journalists. These folks could go through certification whereby they would attend workshops or use online modules, so that they could learn about how the FDA looks at new drugs, they could learn how to scrutinize claims and evaluate the quality of evidence presented by sources. They could learn more about the ethical quandaries that arise in health news, I think, more than in any other area of journalism.
And here’s what he thinks of health news:
I would say that watching television health news today has actually become an unhealthy act. It’s filled with one-sided, incomplete information, lots of scares at one end of the spectrum, and then breakthroughs at the other end of the spectrum.Single-source stories are the rule, not the exception, in health news stories. Single-source stories are a bad idea in any form of journalism. In health news it’s malpractice. There are so many vested conflicts of interest among the promulgators of health news and information today, it simply does not suffice to only have one source.
I hope you’ve noticed the effort I put into providing additional information that I think is important or relevant to the genetics and public health news I post about. That’s not to say I’m not biased as well, but I hope that I’m presenting a fuller picture and more educated opinion than what you might get from a newspaper blurb.
So, do you think I should get accredited as well? Or is a PhD in genetic epidemiology enough?
Pointer from STATS.
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5 opinions for Certifying Health News Reporters and Journalists
Brad
Aug 10, 2005 at 9:37 am
As someone who reads at least a dozen health related stories each day, I am all too aware of this problem. In fact, I’ve found that Western news outlets could be doing a lot worse compared to stories I read coming out of Africa. It’s not uncommon to read a story with a headline like "Miracle AIDS Cure Found," only for it to be a remedy that has never been clinically tested. The journalists fall for the charlatans hook, line, and sinker, making it very difficult for a member of the public to make an informed decision.
On the question of whether you should get accredited, I’m of the opinion that there’s no such thing as too many certifications, and when it comes to the world of blogs, anything that enhances your credibility is going to help increase your readership. My advice is to go for it (and tell me about the process once you get certified) :-D
Lei
Aug 10, 2005 at 9:46 am
Brad, I think certification of health reporters is merely conjecture right now and I doubt it will ever go into effect.
I have considered some kind of science writing program in the past but at this stage of my life, it would be hard to manage. Now you, on the other hand, are still a young’un…. You first!
annew
Aug 11, 2005 at 10:48 am
Aren’t weather people on tv more or less certified? Don’t most of them have a meteorology degree or something?
I think your degrees are sufficient… are you making them obvious enough?
I wouldn’t oppose voluntary accredation… although I don’t usually find such things very reassuring myself.
Lei
Aug 11, 2005 at 10:50 am
Anne, Apparently the weather people are MORE qualified and have to undergo certification unlike the health reporters. It’s pretty interesting.
Yeah, I kinda think voluntary accreditation–unless carried out by a respected organization–is just another piece of pointless documentation.
As for making my degrees obvious, shall I have them tatooed on my forehead? ;)
Genetics and Health » Genetics Interview #19: Dr. Paul Decelles of The Force That Through
Oct 5, 2006 at 2:09 pm
[…] 4. A couple months ago, you mentioned the inadequate credentials of science journalists. I’ve also written about a proposal by Gary Schwitzer, director of the Health Journalism graduate program at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, to have health news reporters and journalists be certified voluntarily. […]
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