What is newsworthy? Longitudinal study of the reporting of medical research
in two British newspapers
Christopher Bartlett, research associate,
Jonathan Sterne, reader in medical statistics,
Matthias Egger, professor of clinical epidemiology.
MRC Health Services Research Collaboration, Department of Social Medicine,
University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR
Correspondence to: M Egger, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine,
University of Bern, Finkenhubelweg 11, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
egger@ispm.unibe.ch
Objective: To assess the characteristics of medical researchthat is press released by general medical journals and reported
innewspapers. Design: Longitudinalstudy. Data sources: All original research articles published in
Lancet and BMJ during 1999 and2000. Main outcome measures: Inclusion of articles in Lancet or BMJ
pressreleases, and reporting of articles in Times or Sunnewspapers. Results: Of 1193 original research articles, 517 (43%)were
highlighted in a press release and 81 (7%) were reportedin one or
both newspapers. All articles covered in newspapershad been press
released. The probability of inclusion in pressreleases was similar
for observational studies and randomisedcontrolled trials, but
trials were less likely to be covered inthe newspapers (odds ratio
0.15 (95% confidence interval 0.06to 0.37)). Good news and bad news
were equally likely to be pressreleased, but bad news was more
likely to be reported in newspapers(1.74 (1.07 to 2.83)). Studies of
women's health, reproduction,and cancer were more likely to be press
released and covered innewspapers. Studies from industrialised
countries other than Britainwere less likely to be reported in
newspapers (0.51 (0.31 to 0.82)),and no studies from developing
countries werecovered. Conclusions: Characteristics of articles were more strongly
associated with selection for reporting in newspapers than with
selection for inclusion in press releases, although each stage
influenced the reporting process. Newspapers underreported randomised
trials, emphasised bad news from observational studies, and ignored
research from developingcountries.
What is already known on this topic
Newspapers are an important source of information about the results of
medical research
There are two stages on the path to newspaper coverageselection
by medical journal editors of articles to be press released and the
selection of newsworthy articles by journalists
What this study adds
Examination of press releasing by the Lancet and BMJ and
reporting by the Times and Sun showed that selection processes
acted at both stages
The net effect meant that newspapers emphasised results from
observational studies, in particular studies of women's health,
reproduction, and cancer
Good news and bad news were equally likely to be press released, but bad
news was more likely to be reported in newspaper articles
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"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
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