Tag Archives: media

Quality press can take no credit for advances in drug policy

June 29, 2009 – 10:34 am

The Croakey post below about television series, The Wire, has prompted the following response from Dr Alex Wodak, President, Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation:
“Croakey is right that ‘The Wire’ is a remarkable series and exceptional in that it depicts a complex reality from multiple perspectives.
But the argument advanced by David Simons, the primary series creator, [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Media-related issues, illicit drugs | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Has anyone the time, interest or funding for these stories?

June 17, 2009 – 10:57 am

In case there are any researchers or journalists out there with too much time on their hands, here are two ideas for stories or research projects.
• What is the role of the media in Mr Ward’s death?
The 4 Corners report on the death of Mr Ward, an Aboriginal man who was incarcerated in the most [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Crikey register of influence, Health inequalities, Indigenous health, Media-related issues, adverse events, conflicts of interest | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (4)

Outing Crikey, Croakey and the rest of them/us

March 3, 2009 – 12:00 pm

Astute readers of Crikey may have noticed an increase in the volume and range of contributors writing about health matters over the past year or more.
This is no coincidence, but the result of some determined effort via an informal collaboration between public health advocate Simon Chapman, journalists Ray Moynihan and myself, and the Crikey mob.
Simon, [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Media-related issues, Uncategorized | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Reporting on bushfires and other trauma is a health issue…for all concerned

February 11, 2009 – 9:37 am

In the past few days, I’ve swung between devouring stories of bushfire trauma and turning away from them, unable to bear any more. I read not only because I want to know but because I feel I ought to.
There is a duty to attempt to understand something of what people are experiencing and suffering. I [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Media-related issues, mental health, trauma | Also tagged , , | Comments (1)

The media and healthcare: sharing our mistakes

January 27, 2009 – 3:12 pm

In a recent Crikey article, journalist Margaret Simons investigated how The Age newspaper came to publish a column “in error”.
Reading about the many factors and circumstances – both systemic and individual – that contributed to the error – I was again reminded of how the media and health industries have so much in common, at [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Media-related issues, adverse events, quality and safety of health care | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

What’s really scary about the latest sunscreen scare story

December 19, 2008 – 2:36 pm

It’s the slow-news, silly season, it’s summer…and it’s the perfect time for pitching advertising dressed up as news, especially if it involves scare stories about sunscreens.
And so we have suffered a rash of “news” stories this week in which Perth toxicologist Peter Dingle sounds a loud alarm about nasty chemicals in sunscreens.
He appeared yesterday on [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Media-related issues, cancer, conflicts of interest | Also tagged , | Comments (4)

Is Crikey’s register of influence a crap idea?

November 27, 2008 – 10:43 am

Adam Cresswell, the health editor at The Australian, has had a critical look at Crikey’s register of influence, and doesn’t quite like what he sees.
Writing in his regular Media Bites column in Australian Doctor magazine (the issue dated 28 November), Adam raises concerns that the register may simply create confusion rather than greater transparency about [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Crikey register of influence, Media-related issues, conflicts of interest | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Should journalists accept awards funded by drug companies?

November 21, 2008 – 11:30 am

The financial ties between drug companies and journalists are scrutinised in the latest British Medical Journal by American medical academics Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin, and Australian journalist Ray Moynihan.
The authors suggest that journalism educators should not accept funding from the healthcare and drug industries, that journalists should not accept gifts, awards, or any financial [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Journal articles, Media-related issues | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

The media as scientific cheer squad

November 17, 2008 – 9:59 pm

The news that Australian scientists are “on the verge” of developing a skin cancer vaccine has consumed significant amounts of prime-time media space in the past few days. It’s even made international headlines.
This has all been superb publicity for the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, where the work was due to be presented [...]

By Croakey | Posted in Media-related issues | Also tagged , | Comments (0)