Medical news reporting:  establishing goodwill and cooperation

Herman, Jack R; Morgan, John A T

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb06995.x

Topics

Each side needs to appreciate the other’s agenda

Media doctor, an attempt by a group of medically well informed people to monitor and rate medical news reports, is a welcome initiative. It aims to improve the standard of health and medical reporting in Australia’s press and the media in general. Whether it can do that, even if expanded to Australia-wide coverage, is a moot point, but well worth considering.

Australian Press Council, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence:

1. Smith DE, Wilson AJ, Henry DA. Monitoring the quality of medical news reporting: early experience with media doctor. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 190-193. <eMJA full text>
2. Australian Press Council. Reporting guidelines. Health warning. General press release 245, April 2001. Available at: http://www.presscouncil.org.au/pcsite/activities/guides/gpr245.html (accessed Jul 2005).

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