Is the press properly presenting the epidemiological data on COVID-19? An analysis of newspapers from 25 countries.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess how the top 3 highest circulation newspapers from 25 countries are comparing and presenting COVID-19 epidemiological data to their readers. Of 75 newspapers evaluated, 51(68%) presented at their websites at least one comparison of cases and/or deaths between regions of their country and/or between countries. Quality assessment of the comparisons showed that only a minority of newspapers adjusted the data for population size in case comparisons between regions (37.2%) and between countries (25.6%), and the same was true for death comparisons between regions (27.3%) and between countries (27%). Of those making comparisons, only 13.7% explained the difference in the interpretation of cases and deaths. Of 17 that presented a logarithmic curve, only 29.4% explained its meaning. Although the press plays a key role in conveying correct medical information to the general public, we identified inconsistencies in the reporting of COVID-19 epidemiological data.

Health tips in newspapers: a matter of concern.

Newspapers are a significant source of information to the general public as it reaches quite large numbers. Many readers make an essential health decision based on the information provided by the newspaper. Evidence suggests that quality of health reporting in the newspaper is poor. Most of the health tips in the newspaper may lead to self-medication, which is most dangerous. It is the responsibility of the newspaper to provide health information with scientific evidence and readers to be cautious before making any health-related decision based on newspaper information without consulting experts.

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Assessing the Quality of Media Reporting of Suicide Deaths in Bangladesh Against World Health Organization Guidelines.

Background: Media reporting of suicide events has thus far gone without sufficient scrutiny in Bangladesh. Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of suicides in Bangladesh against international guidelines. Methods: We used content analysis to assess the quality of suicide reporting in six daily newspapers in Bangladesh. The newspapers were hand-searched between November 2016 and April 2017 and 327 articles reporting on suicide deaths were retrieved. Results: The mean number of suicide articles per day per newspaper was 0.3 (range across newspapers 0.11-0.70) and the mean length was 11.3 sentences. Harmful reporting practices were very common (for example, a detailed suicide method was reported in 75.5% of articles) while almost no potentially helpful reporting practices were observed (for example, no articles gave contact details for a suicide support service). Limitations: The findings are limited to print mass media. Conclusions: We observed that explicit and simplistic reports of suicide deaths were frequently observed in newspapers in Bangladesh. Attempts should be made to understand the perspectives of media professionals in relation to suicide reporting, and to devise strategies to boost the positive contribution that media can make to suicide prevention in this context.

Gestão editorial de periódicos científicos: tendências e boas práticas / Editorial management of scientific journals: trends and best practices

A obra pretende revelar diferentes experiências, tendências e possibilidades de melhoria frente às equipes editoriais de periódicos em acesso aberto. As publicações que cumprem a filosofia do acesso aberto fortalecem a democracia da informação, garantindo que futuras gerações possam inovar em diferentes aspectos sociais, tecnológicos-científicos, políticos, ambientais e humanos. Há pouca literatura que associa os entendimentos teóricos em consonância com as práticas e tendências editoriais. Principalmente que favoreçam a continuidade de um modelo de publicação sul-americano que respeite as características dos editores de periódicos dessa região

Transparencia, equidad y acceso a los medicamentos: a propósito de la pandemia por COVID-19 / Transparency, equity and access to medicines: talking of the COVID-19 pandemic

La pandemia por COVID-19 ha generado una crisis a todos los niveles, desde el sanitario hasta el económico, laboral y social. Los sistemas sanitarios han mostrado una enorme capacidad de adaptación a las necesidades, que han requerido de rápidas actuaciones. Realizar un análisis de la situación es esencial para redimensionar las necesidades y hacer un uso más eficiente de los recursos disponibles con vistas a futuro. Algunas de las cuestiones que nos permitirán avanzar para garantizar que el sistema siga siendo sostenible y equitativo son el disponer de investigación científica de calidad y realizar una evaluación crítica de la misma, la prudencia en la práctica médica, la transparencia y el acceso a la información, la inversión pública en I+D+I, el desarrollo de nuevos modelos de financiación de medicamentos y la cooperación internacional

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a crisis at all levels, from health sector to the economic, working and social fields. Health systems have shown an enormous capacity to adapt to the needs, which have required rapid actions. To carry out an analysis of the situation is essential to resize needs and make a more efficient use of available resources with a view to the future. Some of the issues that will allow us to make progress in ensuring that the system remains sustainable and equitable are good quality scientific research with appropriate critical appraisal, prudence in medical practice, transparency and access to information, public investment in R+D+I, development of new drug financing models and international cooperation

Coverage of Antimicrobial Resistance in the German Press: 1993-2013.

The present study explores the coverage of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its associated risks in the German press between 1993 and 2013. Using quantitative content analysis, we explored the corpus of newspaper articles to evaluate the quality of risk reporting. Our findings show an overall increase in the quality of risk-related information: articles contain more substantiating statements describing objectively cognizable phenomena with absolute numbers, prevalences, estimations, and tendencies over time. There is also an increase in the level of precision of such statements. On the other hand, the results suggest that there is little contextualization of risk information and mortality data is often communicated in absolute numbers, which makes it harder to understand and interpret the information. While the debate about the risks of AMR is led by the scientific community, the overall tone of the coverage is alarmist, which can result in growing skepticism of scientific expertise.

Scientific Quality of Health-Related Articles in Specialty Cannabis and General Newspapers in San Francisco.

Recreational cannabis is being legalized in states across the USA. The public relies on popular media for health information about cannabis. We assessed the accuracy of reporting on health effects of cannabis use in GreenState, a specialty publication on cannabis published by the San Francisco Chronicle and the main newspaper using the Index of Scientific Quality for Health Related News Reports. Results were compared using t-tests. Seventeen GreenState articles and four San Francisco Chronicle articles were identified for analysis. Health articles in GreenState scored 2.9 (±1.1 [SD]) Global, with the highest scoring category Applicability (4.5 ± 0.4) and the lowest Precision (2.4 ± 1.0) on a scale of 1-5. In contrast, the San Francisco Chronicle articles received a Global rating of 4.6 (±0.2), ranging from Applicability (5.0 ± 0) to Benefits (3.8 ± 0.9). Articles in the San Francisco Chronicle scored significantly higher in all categories but Benefits which was not significantly different for the San Francisco Chronicle compared with GreenState (3.8 vs. 3.6, p = 0.77). The public, clinicians, and policymakers need to be aware of this pattern and treat information in publications like GreenState with an appropriate level of skepticism until the quality of reporting improves to general journalistic standards.

It must be true I read it in the tabloids.

BACKGROUND: Previous attempts to improve the quality of health journalism have not led to more responsible reporting of health news. METHOD: We reviewed the front pages of three daily tabloid and three daily broadsheet UK newspapers during a 1 month period in 2017 for medical headlines in which claims were made for diets, lifestyle behaviours or drug therapies that influence health. RESULTS: Front page medical headlines were carried by the Daily Express (11), Daily Mail (two), Daily Mirror (one) and Daily Telegraph (one). Neither the Guardian nor the Independent carried medical stories on their front pages during the period of study. Eleven headlines suggested benefits and three suggested harm. One headline accurately reflected its source material, but in this instance the source material was of doubtful clinical relevance. The remaining 13 headlines either exaggerated benefit (seven), exaggerated harm (two) or made false claims (four). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative effect of everyday misreporting of medical stories in UK newspapers may not only serve to confuse the public but also have serious consequences for public health.

Fidelity assessment of the suicide reporting guidelines in Korean newspapers.

BACKGROUND: With the dishonor of being the highest suicide rated country in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, South Korea should take more initiatives in suicide prevention. Although the role of the media and its relation to actual suicide attempts has been tested and supported by many studies, the suicide reporting guidelines are not well followed. The purpose of this study is to examine how well Korean newspapers adhere to existing guidelines and to suggest limitation and improvements for the current guidelines. METHODS: Five mainstream newspapers in South Korea, namely, Kyunghyang Shinmun, Hankyoreh, Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Daily, and Dong-A Ilbo, were chosen for the analysis. Using the Naver news search engine, articles dated from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017, were selected with the keyword "suicide" and advanced option "printed newspaper." However, articles, columns, opinions, and reviews that utilized the word "suicide" in a general context were excluded from the final analysis. Finally, the number of cases was narrowed down to 368. Each article was analyzed using the guideline framework consisting of 13 items: sensational coverage, overstatement, direct wording, method used, details about site/location, photographs, suicide note, generalization, speculation, romanticization, interviews with the bereaved, help-seeking information, and public education. RESULTS: More than 60% of the articles included direct wording (63.9%), mentioned the method used (68.2%), and provided details about the site or location (74.5%). Nearly half of the articles revealed the contents of the suicide note (44.6%). Less than 3% of the suicide reports had information about hotline logo or phone numbers (1.4%) and facts regarding suicide and suicide prevention (2.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that the guidelines were ineffective in their monitoring role and that most of the newspapers were incompliant with many significant guideline items in South Korea. Our findings not only explore the limitations of the current guidelines but also provide an important rationale as to why there should be stronger suicide monitoring regulation or an agency with sufficient authority to prevent suicide in a nation-wide scale.

Overselling Sit-Stand Desks: News Coverage of Workplace Sitting Guidelines.

The first quantitative, specific recommendations for sitting time at work were released in June 2015. This paper examines the implications of news coverage received by this position statement. Media reports about statement published May, 31-June, 29, 2015 were analyzed according to five recommendations and three caveats extracted from the guidelines' press release. Information about how physical activity was framed and mentions of conflicts of interest were recorded. Of 58 news reports, nine reported all five recommendations in the position paper. The topline recommendation (two hours daily of standing and light activity) was reported in all articles. Alleviating musculoskeletal discomfort by sitting less was not reported by 72% of reports. Physical activity was mentioned in 32 reports: 69% said physical activity did not attenuate the risks of prolonged sitting. No reports mentioned any potential conflicts of interest despite co-author links to sit-stand desk industry. These results demonstrate the need to balance public and market demands for public health guidance around sitting; and could encourage more accurate communication of research outcomes. The physical activity component of the "move more and sit less" message requires greater efforts to raise its public salience.

Assessing Fidelity to Suicide Reporting Guidelines in Canadian News Media: The Death of Robin Williams.

OBJECTIVE: Mindset is a short recently-published booklet funded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada outlining evidence-based guidelines and best practices for journalists writing about mental health and suicide. Our study aimed to assess fidelity to Mindset recommendations in Canadian newspaper reports of a recent celebrity suicide. A secondary aim is to identify common themes discussed in these newspaper articles. METHODS: Articles about Robin Williams' suicide from major Canadian newspapers were gathered and coded for presence or absence of each of the 14 recommendations in the "Covering Suicide" section of Mindset. A threshold of 80% was set to test for high fidelity to the guidelines. A qualitative content analysis of the articles was also undertaken to discern common themes and social issues discussed in the articles. RESULTS: Fifty-five per cent of articles surpassed the 80% threshold for high fidelity, while 85% applied at least 70% of the recommendations. The recommendation most commonly overlooked was "Do tell others considering suicide how they can get help," which was absent in 73% of articles. The most common themes discussed were those of addictions and stigma. CONCLUSIONS: The news articles generally follow the evidence-based guidelines regarding the reporting of suicide set out in Mindset. This is a welcome development. Future research should continue to examine reporting of suicide to assess for further improvements, while also examining the wider impact of Mindset on the reporting of mental illness per se.

Smoke and Mirrors: U.K. Newspaper Representations of Intimate Partner Domestic Violence.

News media are in a position to project certain perspectives on domestic violence while marginalizing others, which has implications for public understanding and policy development. This study applies discourse analysis to articles on domestic violence in two U.K. national daily newspapers published in 2001-2002 and 2011-2012 to evaluate evidence of change over a 10-year time span. The research examines how discourses of domestic violence are constructed through newspaper representations of victims, predominantly women, and perpetrators, predominantly men. Although one of the newspapers adopts a respectful position toward women, the textual and visual techniques adopted by the other reveal a tendency for blaming the victim and sexualizing violence related to perceptions of "deserving" or "undeserving" women victims.

Saúde nas notícias das eleições de Goiás em 2014: mídia, agente social de saúde / Health in the news of Goiás elections 2014: media, social agent of health / Salud en las noticias de la elección de Goiás en 2014: medios de comunicación, agentes sociales de salud

Este artigo nasce da tensão entre a comunicação e a saúde no discurso midiático, buscando desvelar o significado da saúde apresentado nas notícias que compõem a editoria de Política & Justiça do Jornal Diário da Manhã, periódico diário goiano. A partir de uma leitura crítica e uma análise das 102 notícias que constituem esse corpus, verificou-se que a saúde é mencionada para fins eleitoreiros, com pouca participação da população como voz direta ou indireta, tratada na maioria das vezes com assuntos de investimentos e serviços públicos(unidades de atendimento em saúde), deixando em segundo plano as orientações e informações sobre saúde pública e preventiva e todas as outras questões inerentes ao complexo sistema de saúde.

This article is born of the tension between the communication and health in the discourse of the media seeking to reveal the meaning of health presented in the news that compose the editorship of policy &justice of the Diário da Manhã, periodic daily of Goiânia, capital of the state of Goiás. From a critical reading and analysis of 102 news that constitute this corpus, it was found that health is mentioned for policy purposes, with little participation by the population, such as direct or indirect voice, treated in the majority of cases along with matters of investments and public services (health care units), leaving on backstage the guidelines and information on public and preventive health and all other issues inherent to the complex system of health.

Este artículo nace de la tensión entre la comunicación y la salud en el discurso de los medios de comunicación buscando revelar el significado de la salud presentados en las noticias que componen la editoria de la política & justicia del Diário da Manhã, periódico diario de Goiânia, capital de Goiás. A partir de una lectura crítica y del análisis de 102 noticias que constituyen este corpus, se constató que la salud es mencionada para fines de política, con poca participación de la población, como voz directa o indirecta, y tratada en la mayoría de los casos con las cuestiones de las inversiones y los servicios públicos (unidades de salud), dejando en segundo plano las directrices e informaciones sobre salud pública y medidas preventivas y todas las demás cuestiones inherentes al complejo sistema de salud.