Writing about health and medical studies is part of the larger genre of writing about science. Perhaps the best science journalism site/blog out there is The Open Notebook, chock full of advice, tips, guides and inspiration.
We’ve highlighted their work here before, and now they’ve gone above and beyond with a special section aimed at new science journalists — though there’s plenty of gold there for veterans as well. Continue reading
Photo: Marco Verch via Flickr
Nutrition studies can be as frustrating to cover as they can be fascinating. That’s because of the maddening coffee-chocolate-wine quandary: One day a study says one of these treats is good for you and the next day another study says it isn’t.
Part of the problem is the incredible complexity and diversity of human bodies, genetics, environments, diets and even disease. Red wine might be great for one condition, but increase risks for another at the same time. Continue reading
Photo: NIAID via Flickr
In early October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Paratek Pharmaceuticals’ new antibiotic Nuzyra, which kills bacteria associated with skin and lung infections.
The approval was notable because there are so few new antibiotics coming onto the market, , says journalist Maryn McKenna in Wired magazine, largely because most drug companies don’t think antibiotics — which have wiped out the threat of many infectious diseases — to be worth the investment.
The problem is a unique business and policy dilemma for society. Continue reading
Photo: Immanuel Brändemo via Flickr
Using appropriate terminology when reporting on medical studies is important not only for the sake of accuracy and clarity, but also to avoid causing harm to populations by using specialized but often misused terms.
This can be especially true when reporting on transgender people, a population now battling a proposal by the Trump administration proposal that in effect would define them “out of existence” as far as government programs, regulations and funding are concerned, as the New York Times recently reported. It’s more important than ever for journalists to avoid inappropriate terminology when reporting on this population. Continue reading
Photo: ACRM-Rehabilitation via Flickr
If you’ve covered medical research conferences for a while, you know the drill and probably have a variety of tips and tricks already internalized to ensure the experience and your reporting goes as smoothly as possible. If you’re thinking about starting to cover conferences, or preparing to cover your first one, it can be intimidating to know what to expect. Continue reading
Those of us who cover medical studies on a regular basis are always looking for ways to uncover new and interesting research aside from the embargoed releases from the major journals and services such as EurekAlert! Using alerts on PubMed is one option, and now there’s a new app called Case.
I first learned about the app in March when Avikk Ghose, Case’s CEO and co-founder, reached out to me on email. I checked out the app at the time but found some features limited for the way I specifically look for research. (Since it’s aimed at researchers themselves, it was at the time still too hyperspecific for me as a journalist.) Continue reading