#IHMayDay: tweeting for empowerment and social and emotional wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE: This paper examines the themes of #IHMayDay, a day-long Twitter discussion about Indigenous health led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on 1 May 2014. METHOD: The Symplur analytics tool was used to identify the Twitter activity associated with #IHMayDay. This paper reviews the content of 423 tweets that were tweeted and retweeted by 346 individuals and 108 organisations. RESULTS: Issues related to social and emotional wellbeing were dominant, and the analysis highlights the empowering nature of the strengths-based discourse. CONCLUSIONS: Twitter-based events such as #IHMayDay and initiatives such as the rotated, curated account @IndigenousX are powerful platforms for learning, exchange, advocacy and dialogue about the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Learning from journalists' experiences of the H1N1 pandemic.

Good working relationships with journalists are needed during public health crises

Widening the debate about conflict of interest: addressing relationships between journalists and the pharmaceutical industry.

The phone-hacking scandal that led to the closure of the News of the World newspaper in Britain has prompted international debate about media practices and regulation. It is timely to broaden the discussion about journalistic ethics and conduct to include consideration of the impact of media practices upon the population's health. Many commercial organisations cultivate relationships with journalists and news organisations with the aim of influencing the content of health-related news and information communicated through the media. Given the significant influence of the media on the health of individuals and populations, we should be alert to the potential impact of industry-journalist relationships on health care, health policy and public health. The approach taken by the medical profession to its interactions with the pharmaceutical industry provides a useful model for management of industry influence.

Policy Implications for Protecting Health from the Hazards of Fire Smoke. A Panel Discussion Report from the Workshop Landscape Fire Smoke: Protecting Health in an Era of Escalating Fire Risk.

Globally, and nationally in Australia, bushfires are expected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change. To date, protection of human health from fire smoke has largely relied on individual-level actions. Recent bushfires experienced during the Australian summer of 2019-2020 occurred over a prolonged period and encompassed far larger geographical areas than previously experienced, resulting in extreme levels of smoke for extended periods of time. This particular bushfire season resulted in highly challenging conditions, where many people were unable to protect themselves from smoke exposures. The Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR), an Australian research centre, hosted a two-day symposium, Landscape Fire Smoke: Protecting health in an era of escalating fire risk, on 8 and 9 October 2020. One component of the symposium was a dedicated panel discussion where invited experts were asked to examine alternative policy settings for protecting health from fire smoke hazards with specific reference to interventions to minimise exposure, protection of outdoor workers, and current systems for communicating health risk. This paper documents the proceedings of the expert panel and participant discussion held during the workshop.

Converging crises: public interest journalism, the pandemic and public health.

Public interest journalism has faced a longstanding funding crisis, cutbacks of staff and resources, and closures of newsrooms. This crisis is a critical public health concern, and it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the pandemic has highlighted the important roles played by public interest journalism - including in addressing health equity issues. The pandemic has also highlighted the need to address structural weaknesses in the media industry, with concentration of media ownership and underfunding of public broadcasters leading to many communities being under-served and under-represented. The public health sector can make important contributions to developing and sustaining a robust, public interest journalism sector. Public health professionals and organisations can advocate for policy reform to support public interest journalism, and incorporate consideration of public interest journalism into advocacy, education, research and practice.

What are the roles and responsibilities of the media in disseminating health information?

BACKGROUND TO THE DEBATE: In December 2004 three news stories in the popular press suggested that the side effects of single-dose nevirapine, which has been proven to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, had been covered up. Many HIV experts believed that the stories were unwarranted and that they would undermine use of the drug, leading to a rise in neonatal HIV infection. The controversy surrounding these stories prompted the PLoS Medicine editors to ask health journalists, and others with an interest in media reporting of health, to share their views on the roles and responsibilities of the media in disseminating health information.

Health reform: a time of opportunity and challenge.

Almost three years after the Labor Government was elected with a mandate to overhaul the health system, there are many questions about where the reform juggernaut is headed, and what it will mean for the community's health. Although some elements of the reform package are already being rolled out, including extra funding for emergency departments and elective surgery in public hospitals, many critical issues are yet to be resolved.

CHAMP: a novel collaboration between public health and the media.

Crikey is a daily electronic bulletin aimed at providing independent news. It was established in 2000. In 2007, journalists and public health advocates collaborated with Crikey to initiate an innovative health reporting project, the Crikey Health and Medical Panel (CHAMP). CHAMP members contribute articles and news tips to Crikey, broadening Crikey's scope of public health coverage. CHAMP continues to evolve, and has expanded to include a freely accessible online health forum, Croakey. CHAMP was established to enhance public debate about health, to encourage public health advocates to engage in debate, and to help the media to identify public health advocates and issues as sources for articles.