"The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the role news organizations play in disseminating information and shaping public response to the crisis. This study adopts an ecological approach in examining Russian regional journalists’ adaptations to the pandemic. Based on in-depth interviews, the study f
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ound that a worsened economic situation has increased dependence on state subsidies. Journalists avoided questioning authorities’ response to COVID, with some publishing government information and others focusing on practical tips for readers." (Abstract)
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"This document is intended for health authorities designing RCCE interventions in the context of the current monkeypox outbreak in Europe. It supplements the ‘Interim advice on Risk Communication and Community Engagement during the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, 2022’ jointly published by ECDC an
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d the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe. It provides examples and approaches for RCCE, while building on experience from past outbreaks. These examples can be used to inspire countries in the European Region to develop community engagement approaches and risk communication strategies adapted to the national, regional and/or local context and specific target audiences in their response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak." (Introduction)
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"This collection of case studies on risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) from 18 different country/ area level public health partners in the WHO European Region provides evidence of numerous results achieved and lessons learned since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. RCCE has not tra
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ditionally been an area where evidence of challenges and solutions was documented. With this compendium, we wanted to collect and share this evidence to support decision-making in this area of work." (Foreword)
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"How we report on vaccines and vaccination programmes can affect public perceptions of vaccines and vaccine acceptance. In this field, our choice of words, narrative decisions, presentation of data and selection of sources are all crucial - not just journalistically, but from a public health perspec
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tive to ensure accurate information reaches the right audiences." (Page 1)
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"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on health systems and economies around the world. This is particularly true for developing and newly industrialized countries that often have to deal with poverty and inadequate health systems. A greater awareness of COVID-19 and its consequences, genera
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ted and fostered by journalistic health reporting, may contribute to better preparations. The societal importance of journalistic health reporting and its challenges in sub-Saharan societies during the pandemic are examined. A qualitative research design relying on interviews with representatives of African science and health journalism organizations is employed. The results show that health reporting during health crises can provide a variety of normative functions of journalism in democracies and in autocratic developing and newly industrialized countries, but it presents many challenges for journalists and media houses. COVID-19 also offers starting points for global media assistance in strengthening and improving health reporting in the long term." (Abstract)
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"This guide focuses on medicines and medical devices. It aims to provide journalists with the tools and knowledge to independently assess the evidence, critically appraise the risk-benefit ratio of any given product or policy, and expose corruption and malpractice. It can be read as a textbook, one
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chapter at a time, or used selectively to support your work. Investigating behind-the-scenes is consuming but rewarding. As we’ll discuss in Chapter 2, combining the methods and standards of muckraking and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) can be highly effective. EBM, defined as “the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients,” has been constantly revised to include a wider public health approach. But as Students4BestEvidence, a network of students from around the world who are interested in learning more about evidence-based health care, put it: “It’s about asking the right questions and using the best research evidence to answer those questions.” EBM is an approach that matches the ethics and standards of investigative journalism." (Introduction, page 8-9)
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"This handbook aims to draw lessons from those who specialize in science writing and editing — to provide their insights, knowledge, tips, and resources to all editors. The goal is to help ensure that science journalism meets the highest standards of quality no matter what the publication or the a
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udience. The handbook is designed to empower editors to ask the right questions, enable them to spot faulty reporting or flawed science, and to provide information on best practices in reporting on science and the many subjects, now more critical than ever, that it touches, whether the environment or a pandemic. The book provides practical tips for editors. But it also seeks to recognize the unique challenges and decisions they face. Many of the lessons are illustrated by example — when science journalism shone as well as when it was left wanting." (Introduction)
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"Reporting on issues such as suicide, sexual abuse, or migration is a skill that is often glossed over in a journalist’s education. By combining theory and practice, this collection will correct this oversight and give journalists the expertise and understanding to report on these subjects respons
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ibly and ethically. Contributors to this volume are an international group of journalists-turned-academics, who share their first-hand experiences and unique professional insight into best ethical journalistic practice for reporting on sensitive topics. Drawing from a range of case studies, contributors discuss the most appropriate approach to, for example, describing a shooter who has killed a group of schoolchildren or interviewing someone who has lost everything in a natural disaster. Readers are invited to consider factors which have the potential to influence the reporting of these sorts of topics, including bias, sensationalism, conflict of interest, grief, vulnerability, and ignorance of one’s own privilege." (Publisher description)
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"Donor-funded journalism is a complex sphere, frequently characterised by balancing acts between the priorities of two vastly different environments. The health desk of one of South Africa’s legacy media outlets, the Mail & Guardian, owes its existence to philanthropy. Launched in 2013, the Bhekis
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isa Health Journalism Centre produces in-depth, analytical coverage of health and social justice issues in Africa. With a grant from the German government, Bhekisisa appointed a health editor and two reporters in January 2013. In September 2015, the organisation expanded further to six full-time staff members and 15 freelance correspondents, after it received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Because of donor funds, Bhekisisa has become an entity that a few years ago was unimaginable: the Mail & Guardian’s largest specialist desk—more than thrice the size of the political desk. But the centre’s donor resources, and accompanying impact, have come at a great cost. It has radically changed staff members’ job descriptions from being mere journalists or editors to spending significant time—often up to 30 per cent for reporters and 40 per cent for editors—as data collectors, fundraisers, event organisers, proposal writers, conference moderators, creators of information management systems and donor report writers." (Abstract)
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"This study examines the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in shaping health reporting in Tanzania. Drawing on in-depth interviews with representatives from NGOs cited in HIV/AIDS-related stories published in the Tanzanian newspapers, the Daily News and The Guardian, the analysis focuses
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on financial incentives and resources committed by NGOs to foster collaborative relationships with journalists. Findings reveal that media training opportunities, seminars and “sitting fees” are used to gain and keep journalists’ attention on health issues, increasing promotional and advocacy-based reporting. Incentive-based reporting raises ethical and normative questions about editorial freedom for both news sources and journalists." (Abstract)
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"A web-based system was developed to download and analyse news reports relevant to Ebola vaccine trials. This included monitoring major online newspapers in each country with planned clinical trials, including Ghana. All news articles were downloaded, selecting out those containing variants of the w
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ords “Ebola,” and “vaccine,” which were analysed thematically by a team of three coders. Two types of themes were defined: critiques of the trials and rebuttals in favour of the trials [...] The rumours captured through this research indicate the variety of strong emotions drawn out by the trials, highlighting the importance of understanding the emotional and social context of such research. The uncertainty, fear, and distrust associated with the trials draw from the contemporary context of the Ebola outbreak, as well as longstanding historical issues in Ghana. By analysing the debate from its inception, we can see how the controversy unfolded, and identify points of concern that can inform health communication, suggesting that this tool may be valuable in future epidemics and crises." (Abstract, page 2)
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"Ce guide a pour objectif de fournir aux journalistes formés un support de communication adapté et efficace, leur permettant de diffuser des messages sur les problèmes prioritaires de santé en Guinée. Il doit également leur donner le même niveau d’information et des messages harmonisés sur
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les thématiques évoquées. Grâce à cet outil, les journalistes aborderont plus facilement ces questions avec des messages précis, clairs et adaptés aux communautés tant urbaines que rurales." (Introduction)
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"This book advances new understandings of how technologies have been harnessed to improve the health of populations; whether the technologies really empower those who use information by providing them with a choice of information; how they shape health policy discourses; how the health information r
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elates to traditional belief systems and local philosophies; the implications for health communicators; how certain forms of silence are produced when media articulates and problematizes only a few health issues and sidelines others; and much more." (Publisher description)
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"[...] los textos de las ocho ponencias ofrecen una introducción a la epidemiología con abundantes explicaciones y referencias de utilidad para los informadores en su trabajo cotidiano. El Cuaderno recoge ta mbién la crónica del debate que tuvo lugar entre periodistas y epidemiólogos, una bibli
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ografía básica y una lista de 44 mensajes clave sobre epidemiología para periodistas y comunicadores. Esta lista de “píldoras informativas” condensa los principales mensajes de los ponentes y contiene algunas pautas que pueden ayudar a mejorar las habilidades de los periodistas y comunicadores cuando se enfrentan a un estudio epidemiológico." (Presentación, página vii-viii)
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"Mass media play an important role in explaining the issue of female genital cutting and can influence discourse among the general public as well as policy makers. Understanding how news media present female genital cutting has strong implications for the global status of women. This study, a quanti
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tative content analysis, analyzed how 15 years of newspaper coverage surrounding the launch of the Millennium Development Goals framed female genital cutting in four countries with varying prevalence levels of female genital cutting: the United States, Ghana, The Gambia, and Kenya. The study found female genital cutting is consistently portrayed as a problematic and thematic topic, largely tied to cultural rituals. However, coverage is minimal and inconsistent over time, and does not appear to be impacted by the increase in international initiatives aimed at combatting the practice." (Abstract)
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