Reporting on Health

Reporting on Health

Spring 2003: Introduction

By Melissa Ludtke• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Few topics receive more media attention today than the topic of health. Yet, in the view of some journalists, many of the stories being told about health are not ones journalists want to tell or that members of the public need to hear. As Andrew Holtz, a freelance health reporter and president of the Association for Health Care Journalists, observes, “… stories I think need to be told, are often not the ones that easily sell. My personal frustration is not the issue, but we should be concerned when journalists are inhibited from the work of sustaining an informed and involved citizenry.” – Melissa Ludtke, Editor Read more

Frustrations on the Frontlines of the Health Beat

By Andrew Holtz• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

News organizations need to find spaces ‘to be homes for stories that are now often orphaned.’ Read more

The Public Health Beat: What Is It? Why Is It Important?

By M.A.J. McKenna• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

‘To follow a public health story is to feel the classic pull of a mystery….’ Read more

The Anthrax Attacks

By Patricia Thomas• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

A journalist assesses what went wrong in coverage of this story. Read more

Preparing for Bioterrorism Reporting

By Patricia Thomas• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

RELATED ARTICLE “The Anthrax Attacks” – Patricia ThomasIndividual reporters and the profession are adapting to a world where bioterrorism is no longer unthinkable. Some journalism schools have instituted courses such as “Covering International … Read more

Useful Lessons From Reporting the Anthrax Story

By Sanjay Bhatt• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

A journalist describes what happened and shares what he learned. Read more

Public Health Reporting: After September 11th, It’s More Difficult

By Madeline Drexler• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Important stories aren’t getting told, sources are hard to reach, and what was once public is now considered secret. Read more

Reporting on America’s Widening Racial Health Gap

By Dave Davis• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Using computer-assisted reporting, The Plain Dealer found the fault lines. Read more

Lead Poisoning: A Failed Response and Sick Children

By Judy Peet• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

A team of reporters and a photographer tackle a familiar story with a new approach. Read more

Reporting on the Business of Health Care

By Madge Kaplan• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

‘… this beat is a rich, exciting and suspenseful journey.’ Read more

The Uninsured Story Is Seldom Fully Told

By Susan Dentzer• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Reporters rely on experts instead of going out where the story is happening. Read more

Alcoholism: Its Origins, Consequences and Costs

By Eric Newhouse• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

A reporter’s journey into this story results in lessons learned—and a Pulitzer Prize. Read more

Is the U.S. Government Making Children Fat?

By Barry Yeoman• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

By asking different questions, a journalist connects farm policies to childhood obesity. Read more

Explaining Why 24,000 People Died Yesterday

By James F. Smith• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

The Boston Globe looks worldwide at the result of scant health care. Read more

AIDS in Africa: A Story That Must Be Told

By Huntly Collins• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Reporters confront significant barriers, imposed by governments, editors and their own experiences, to accurately portray this health crisis. Read more

Journalism Is Failing in Its Coverage of Global AIDS

By Sabin Russell• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

‘The worst global pandemic since the Black Death of the Middle Ages receives less media attention than a World Cup soccer match.’ Read more

Documenting the Plague of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

By James Nachtwey• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

By photographing this disease’s devastation, James Nachtwey appeals ‘to stop the madness, lend a hand, restore humanity.’ Read more

Reporting on HIV/AIDS in Kenya

By Joseph Ngome• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

‘Medical experts are not willing to release the information to the media because they fear rebuttal from government authorities….’ Read more

Why Reporters and Editors Get Health Coverage Wrong

By Melinda Voss• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Health journalists need and want special training. Read more

Covering the Quality of Health Care: A Resource Guide for Journalists

By Melinda Voss• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

In 1997, about a half-dozen journalists gathered in Chicago one September weekend to form the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ). The founders shared a vision that such a group could raise the quality, accuracy and RELATED ARTICLE … Read more

An Education in How to Cover the Issues

By Larry Tye• Journalist’s Trade• May 1, 2003

In eight days, journalists gain knowledge and experience that improves coverage. Read more

Examining the Content of Health Care Reporting

By Felicia Mebane• Journalist’s Trade• March 15, 2003

Neither the health care system nor policies creating it receive coverage they deserve. Read more