Accuracy in Science News Reporting by Newspapers: The Case of Aspirin for the Prevention of Heart Attacks
Title:
Accuracy in Science News Reporting by Newspapers: The Case of Aspirin for the Prevention of Heart Attacks
Author:
Molitor, Fred
Appeared in:
Health Communication
Paging:
Volume 5 (1993) nr. 3 pages 209-224
Year:
1993-07-01
Contents:
One day before The New England Journal of Medicine published the preliminary results from a controlled experiment finding that male physicians who took aspirin had half the number of heart attacks, the national media released details of the study. Due to methodological limitations and because those in the treatment group suffered more strokes, the editor of the journal and the authors of the formal report concluded that the public should not start taking aspirin to prevent heart disease. This information is not, however, what was reported by the top five national newspapers. Content analysis reveals that, by omitting information, sensationalizing the results of the study, and making incorrect generalizations, journalists may have been responsible for promoting unhealthy behaviors. This study also examines how the communication policies and practices existing among medical journals, journalists, advertisers, and the government affect the science news that the public receives.
Journal description