In 2005, as I began building HealthNewsReview.org, I got permission from Dr. David Henry of the Media Doctor Australia project to adopt their news story review criteria. In the ensuing 13 years, no one has ever placed in front of me a solid, specific suggestion for a better set of criteria for reviewing stories about… Read More »
NPR just aired a short story about a young woman who experienced postpartum psychosis after the birth of her first child. It was a short article but it brought up several important themes. The article highlights the importance of recognizing postpartum psychosis. While we have worked hard to increase awareness of postpartum depression, the article… Read More »
Dec. 14th’s lower court ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional has again thrust health care back on the national agenda. It also gives journalists a chance to redeem themselves from what I have argued has been poor news coverage that helped fuel the public backlash against the law from the beginning. A lot… Read More »
For award-winning journalist Mara Schiavocampo, the journey to losing 90 pounds began with confronting the truth and writing a single list. (photos courtesy of Mara Schiavocampo.) It’s often said that the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. For me, the journey to losing 90 pounds began with a single list. I remember… Read More »
As all researchers know, science is a grinding parade of failure and dead ends. But as we’ve often written, news release writers sometimes seem hell-bent on making the public believe otherwise. Like expert makeup artists, they can add sparkle to lackluster findings, mask blemishes in study designs, and smooth over unimpressive data. One thing I… Read More »