Reporters need to balance real-world writing pressures against idealised reporting standards
When doctors and academics critique mainstream media health coverage, they typically suggest that this is to educate reporters about their failings, and/or to sound the alert generally about the media’s tendency to mislead a naive public into believing dangerous falsehoods about risks of disease, side effects of medicines, miracle cures and so on.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
I hold shares in and was employed by Fairfax Media, publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald, at the time of writing. The opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect the views of any employer.