‘Careless pork costs lives’: Risk stories from science to press release to media

Abstract

In 2007, British newspapers reported on a league table of local authorities in England according to their level of ‘hazardous drinking’, showing that typically middle-class areas such as Harrogate topped the hazardous drinking league. The table however was a synthetic estimate: what the study showed was the pattern of hazardous drinking within the British middle classes as a whole, regardless of location. At the same time, a report was published on the influences of nutrition on cancer. Although the press release particularly highlighted the connection between obesity and cancer, much of the press coverage eventually focused on the possible dangers of red and processed meat in general, and bacon sandwiches in particular. These stories received substantial media coverage, and in both cases the press releases strongly influenced the way the story was reported. Through these case studies, we examine how risk stories evolve from the actual scientific studies or reports through to the press releases, the new reports and eventually the public discussion of the issues. We will look at how decisions made in the presentation of the press release influences the reception of a story and guide the discussion of it into directions possibly not intended by the scientists involved.

Keywords:

• risk
• lifestyle risk
• risk communication
• the media

Notes

1. We have contacted the NWPHO for details on the model used, but have to date not received any response.

2. In constructing the synthetic estimates the NWPHO may also have used other criteria that are area specific such as hospital admission rates for each local authority.

3. Red meat is meant here to be beef, goat, lamb and pork. Red meat from other animals such as buffalo or deer have not been considered due to the lack of studies on them. Processed meat is not so easily defined, and the report notes that the term has been used inconsistently in the studies it has looked at; however products such as bacon, ham and most sausages are definitely classed as processed meat.