The Media Matter: A Call for Straightforward Medical Reporting

Believe nothing that you see in the newspapers...if you see anything in them that you know is true, begin to doubt it at once. –Sir William Osler (1) While many physicians may share Osler’s sentimentsabout the sometimes sloppy and sensationalized press coverage of health care, doctors and researchers have real reasons to help journalists do their job well. The public pays attention to health in the media—over half of U.S. adults report that they follow health news closely; only community events and crime get more attention (2). Thus, the press is well positioned to educate the public about health and health risks and about what medicine can (and cannot) do. In short, the press could be a positive influence on the nation’s thinking about health. This issue contains an impressive example of th