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Weekly digest - April 8, 2013
news about the myriad messages about health care interventions flooding Americans
daily
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Ethical questions about Time Warner media cancer coverage
In last week's mailing, we posted Seth Mnookin's criticism [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ0fa2kyLTt2t9SN-Ee2GEEEkSgeNIXoAhUJy07n-_UaVb-34uEokZkDXrELzVStSG6nUjaPg-G0Y283Tocm-FrBUFHWAmKKiVQEwMUol46ocSYkV-zthrltC-PhNjIMel5jxqSxAUqp9JtIeJMDjhKH1LTtBZpwyiZXj5lo84AZyAGT39upCCQQf8A5Pk4yO4Yf29iwo5Pnig==]
of TIME magazine's cover story, "How to Cure Cancer." Paul Raeburn wrote on the
Knight Science Journalism Tracker, "TIME magazine wins the war on cancer! [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ09qgEPRxlmBN5-0WQtxtVD2yKp3EyJB-rBVYLN_SRxTu-7LFJVyYUSCShcEVXKL2SivzhRNH6pkONh5XGu2URvMdNxze3BfIkHx3yvFl6pad-gv24cPRl2EneQuP1Q3V0ez_A-koEWuA4T1syWtttAdfMOrwUT_ZHIdW1RHJtSMQ==]"
But then Raeburn followed with a new angle, writing that "TIME violates industry
advertising guidelines in its story on curing cancer [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ34ERcHPf6bhds3rM78ZgQKtOyTADURnnIilisCCcihHt5sqeFKWhvCQJtsFNeE74mwgCJaDf243pljp3xrdvVIHgiyBNwfKG4AXd_uHCS1gVty_qKopfrPH5LonYeVLe0zj5F3N4Wf3TFLad3SLtY4BZADF1oQ8YgfudgIgzD6bP0g7Q4WLWRR]."
He counted 9 mentions of MD Anderson Cancer Center in the cover story, wrapped around
a full-page ad for MD Anderson in the middle of the story. TIME Warner owns CNN,
which was also recently criticized for its MD Anderson coverage.
Other blog barks of the week:
Kevin Lomangino, editor of Clinical Nutrition Insight, and one of our story reviewers,
wrote, "Jane Brody's One-sided Take on Sodium [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ0ab9TkB08wFTCRq_rh_qPKjIeAGdDiBZ4YYWxQpUxgS404-2F0P4dNqCGi4S_DprJzP742mA56IzpUPe-3NXZLCWI_LnhvOtbE6tI6fJtx_4VKZ8P4IViQGTpYD8gsjuPKNYQcjxO6LDyZa49cSD_cTKqbVnb5NcLUm_7B59oVZqi6MLbptYUg],"
and called for "a moratorium on pie-in-the-sky projections for unproven health interventions."
Another blogger warns journalists that a story about Match Day - when medical residency
positions are matched to applicants - may be "misleading, false, and contain fraudulent
information provided by medical schools" if it contains "The Dean's Lie" about how
many new physicians will go into primary care. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ0L6E6n1EhYSwKshCLipH_oCNGE6ZM_9OTmDFCZVVjRzJeAxsFkLtIesmP7GCV2mqUuOlarddBUPtpQLI4atP3BApQV0cik1CMOrboAQvHLg6PIXEBHQ0YetIo7Dkh2xh5_DjKDa_brQaVvBvIvVBd5A9fOkaan_JMwMlo9tTU88MalgSdi410FEHH3Y9sZprevp_757GdE-g==]
See journalist-author Ted Gup's personal reflection [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ3rHLmwyt3TsVnTqYYz0sQU3PYpAfEZSHkJvFkDwD-ddwS4wZ0d1IaZkVN4h8FGMwriC-79PVVT6jg36S5rdHAOS9GCphzwcPFpHVA5AIRoSzFBbOLgbPB0Of20uA_r0hOr7CdCMZRgsyZhucQMN30lekoQCTHB7jSJjc-EU6YvNb-NPxaMRT70zqlUhLWNLZdZCG7Rc87PNzWCUjSA5K2yJoqceUYOyELrLJw5cHwbXw==]
- "Diagnosis: Human" - in a NY Times opinion piece: "Ours is an age in which the
airwaves and media are one large drug emporium that claims to fix everything from
sleep to sex. I fear that being human is itself fast becoming a condition."
That was closely followed by a Star Tribune opinion piece by psychiatrist Charles
Dean, "Rise in ADHD cases is due to marketing." [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ2E9SyvUnsF6AeAXMdF_tYbQzOLl7KAkxVOUp9Zm-DV2N6RdqCb-kz647HHw2KEuX8-yxgHeoPD4QA4D8pdkrrxXHHVn-n1E70yI_BiNDUxMfDYgGMWWBO_8MewvKJPfPOxXL7R8rvwy2awaXFDeHgzLdgKGpuA0XXWbrUjnQsEqEj1hEL7faXXlyMXTM8XKKSeVNuN02N3-g==]
From Toronto, Science-ish blogger Julia Belluz wrote that Gwyneth Paltrow's [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ12iAdehLil1jwZTyyrWlWXeer79CAeZHdJ0ve_VD07-rnMSNe6l2tPhDk1JqrN5m9OlDwF9VgPD7YMfRqSKD3GPEe6N0SYkx0_eBCkCZFNBJe1TBpnbrlmSBM3aynjoYoVS0LdLlXIF322ksktosNtJCD-JLWJTiVgRMaxGAhEPEr-QKzcBF6BANY-q6GAImxz12xI1q2pt7Uoh1HBWrzWQ0kL96V3N36pAfOMnwY_2Q==]
new cookbook borders on quack science. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ12iAdehLil1jwZTyyrWlWXeer79CAeZHdJ0ve_VD07-rnMSNe6l2tPhDk1JqrN5m9OlDwF9VgPD7YMfRqSKD3GPEe6N0SYkx0_eBCkCZFNBJe1TBpnbrlmSBM3aynjoYoVS0LdLlXIF322ksktosNtJCD-JLWJTiVgRMaxGAhEPEr-QKzcBF6BANY-q6GAImxz12xI1q2pt7Uoh1HBWrzWQ0kL96V3N36pAfOMnwY_2Q==]
She quoted Dr. Yoni Freedhoff about one key recommendation in the book: "at best
(it) can be described as non evidence-based hope, and at worst, as plain old malpractice."
You can add to the mix of global efforts to critically analyze health care news
a Swedish project called KritiKam, which focuses on stories about complementary
and alternative medicine. [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ3WFdu4nXGnk96bVNc8DlcieuQh0WqjnpwMBBAlts_4Jbb3J4vqvqHi98KpifVA5Y9lQhqvVGOJRvZd8vcrugtpxWzWc5zrVsU5u23NAwbtoqa_C_9cwsoXlquZ68PTEiNuVXoHkNqdLFnnmQt5RT4E39L456gWl1YcI98jF7nnaWdHT6lEl4ZJe0BKdRdymK_Vi6Y2nMmfx1QeEJYwUtAWaHPMc5tYlhIuwlwNd4Wklw==]
Funding has become a critical issue for many such project. The pioneering Media
Doctor Australia site and its followup in Canada have both stopped production.
And funding for our own project will run out this summer, although I'm working
to find new sources of support. Donors and suggestions welcome.
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How well did these stories address our 10 criteria?
We analyzed two stories on the same animal study of an experimental sleep pill.
Both stories awakened some criticism from our reviewers.
*
Experimental sleep drug may cause fewer side effects: Merck study [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ1NvfzvaZsA3ObIWCCJIme7f34Vpgane3FZhUKkblnNeyeHxjCloLnv3hieRFK2c9Md0D62pJu9U0-FZPKpeRnp7DxIbf83JvaqJQumtnDp8rzoAwraGBZa01qTNk4U5xftrhGA0JH0koWFAjggRmAGUv8cauFFEShf_oozPF_o0brt64-SHmb4l3bmkjnSiOotrACJPikdKORuzyeON9tX]
Better sleeping pills for rats and monkeys awakened for midnight memory tests. Many
questions for people with insomnia.
*
Is a Better Sleeping Pill on the Way? [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ0rHREl1Mu1alpLKITv4pgZvpc1fPbf530quwrDHiR98-I9UmChva7EaYMdJaHZV-9lEpbUbCrHqKrDwM9Z9yhE-8-thmh0ik7k2-K8LQ4pTF0XueNTcDRaDFw0qhXspHVK_SOQPX6ordpkEnIX40PiES0doz_PPJZ75HfNDJxmjzFwCdgd4Tie]
The lead says new type of drug helps people sleep without next-day grogginess.
But the experiment did not include people (just animals) and didn't measure next-day
grogginess (just midnight memory tests).
And, on another topic:
Can Enzymes Make the Meal? [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ1ciOpZnQ_AYPAeth9lXlF34TKBvZUqI36IqWqkmG_wGr5cD7yxzdl-BNcwwFIPqNFkkY0GH15VFoAnr41BoV36fkQQ9DlOFz0rRjnbrWyEelHnfaPFQnC7KGYUn2vJBqeT1KDg7DlRBbOvZRF1aey9SQLysoB3I8w=]
A PR firm sent out a news release, "Enzymes Trending in the News." This WSJ column
wasn't the best example.
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AHCJ Philly 3 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ2KxX2V_wEJ5OEvTUcfyRomGd0e98Pa2aUibGint617q5AkHoAaAnYHfzg9bKP-Slcg9teql9yLegh49oNdUXcd_6yVET_W-jjKEcBeAYUjfYuAIxTAFtaKphg8KY24kPW1kbDFSB910zTlCshB9gcfxpNAIG3yCmz88_bMh7iPNA==]
Gary Schwitzer
Publisher,
HealthNewsReview.org [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ2KJg4dngIUfldetRa5-6zF1yLLs2E-G0AjqF5nOV_OsU6fEuKuS5qHIM_x6lNFGQj1ptOcj5vz7wep8vey9X0l8Sat57kzYdbNB1a3ilmuLA==]
For 8 years, this group has been the sole
funder of this project. That funding ends,
though, this summer.
New Foundation logo [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ0E_hupAmZQsQfme0PZ_sV3Wt01XgcMXJjQWJhvORzU4rj2BwU-mOyoebFlBkRt_PtZBrEchnampHUWfFEQeFUvzfCRvIrUBRTYMurocg2KMvefUXPpY-xDCGsb1v7SoIs=]
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or use this Contact Us form [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001TA51qnX_eQ3KK4C49YRXcjSHlpKCga7G3qJcL0npZMDsvUIbGS4plRZkeRSEsyfaChOoIcKM9slm2-hOGqUKnPjnUTykQnXWKqqJiLfaQzTgPP6YJ6DuwVMZpT396phJu--9I8VOZv0=]
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