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Abstract
News media coverage of health topics can frame and heighten the salience of health-related issues, thus influencing the public's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Through their routine coverage of scientific developments, news media are a critical intermediary in translating research for the public, patients, practitioners, and policymakers. Until now, little was known about how health and medical science reporters and editors initiate, prioritize, and develop news stories related to health and medicine. We surveyed 468 reporters and editors representing 463 local and national broadcast and print media outlets to characterize individual characteristics and occupational practices leading to the development of health and medical science news. Our survey revealed that 70% of respondents had bachelor's degrees; 8% were life sciences majors in college. Minorities are underrepresented in health journalism; 97% of respondents were non-Hispanic and 93% were White. Overall, initial ideas for stories come from a “news source” followed by press conferences or press releases. Regarding newsworthiness criteria, the “potential for public impact” and “new information or development” are the major criteria cited, followed by “ability to provide a human angle” and “ability to provide a local angle.” Significant differences were seen between responses from reporters vs. editors and print vs. broadcast outlets.
This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Notes
Source: NCI National Survey of U.S. Health and Medical Science Reporters and Editors, 2005.
∗Organizations, not individuals.
Source: NCI National Survey of U.S. Health and Medical Science Reporters and Editors, 2005.
Key: ∗p < .05 National versus local; # p < .05 print versus broadcast.
Source: NCI National Survey of U.S. Health and Medical Science Reporters and Editors, 2005.
Note: The percentages in the cells do not add up to 100% because the cells are the sum of only those who said “often” or “very often” to the question: “How often do the following provide you with the initial idea for a health or medical story on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very often).”
Key: ∗p < .05 national versus local; # p < .05 print versus broadcast.
Source: NCI National Survey of U.S. Health and Medical Science Reporters and Editors, 2005.
Note: The percentages in the cells do not add up to 100% because the cells are the sum of only those who said “influential” or “very influential” to the question: “Below is a list of factors that may or may not influence your decision to pursue a health or medical science story. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very influential and 1 being not influential at all, how much does each of the following influence your idea of whether or not a story is newsworthy?.”
Key: ∗p < .05 National versus local; # p < .05 print versus broadcast.
Source: NCI National Survey of U.S. Health and Medical Science Reporters and Editors, 2005.
Note: The percentages in cells do not add up to 100% because the cells are the sum of only those who said “often” or “very often” to two questions: “When you are working on a health or medical science story, how often do you rely on obtaining information from each of the following sources? Please use a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very often and 1 being not at all,” and to the question, “In addition to interviewing sources such as those in the previous question, how often do you rely on each of the following resources when you are working on a health or medical science story? Please use a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being very often and 1 being not at all.”