Lack of Focus in Health News Gives Health Coverage Problems
Lack of Focus in Health News Gives Health Coverage Problems
Do you find yourself reading a lot of health news in the newspaper or watching the nightly news on television? In fact, it is not uncommon for people to be surrounded by this type of information at all times. However, there are reasons why you should not just automatically assume that the media is reporting the latest in health-related information. For one, most often times the health news being discussed is a spin on the previous day’s headlines or something that happened last week.
Also, if you look at the health coverage that you do see, you will quickly realize that the vast majority of the reports are simply pushing a particular product or medical service. This means that you are not getting the whole story about a new health trend or innovation. Rather, you will get a little bit of information and then the next thing you know you will hear about someone else’s product or service. For example, did you hear about the new Atkins diet or a new form of colon cleansing?
In many cases, the health-related stories that you see in the media are spun by the same sources that produce the shows. For example, if you are watching the nightly news on television, the first thing you are going to see is usually a medical story. Many times they will report about some type of medical advancement that may not have some merit to it. However, there is a certain segment of the population that watches these shows in the hopes of finding out about new products or remedies that are just being introduced onto the market. They are looking for a “kit” to help them improve their health and feel better.
This is the big problem with health news. You are getting so much health news from the same sources that are only pushing a product. This means that what you are getting is basically advertising. Yes, companies spend millions of dollars each year on television and radio ads that promote their products. If the information is presented well, these companies can potentially sway a lot of the population to use their products.
Most health related stories are focused on a single health issue. For example, if you want to keep your body healthy, you probably won’t want to read about new ways to treat high cholesterol or a new type of gum that is supposed to prevent gingivitis. You will hear a lot about those two things, but very little about prevention, diet, or any other aspect of healthy living. This lack of focus leads health-related news to fail to engage the audience. They don’t often provide information that will lead to change in the way people live their lives.
This is one of the reasons that magazines have dominated the health news market for several decades. People would rather read about diet plans and exercise than to find out about a new type of pill that could help them fight off a disease. The problem is that most health coverage simply doesn’t have the depth to cover everything that is important in the field of health. Luckily, there is a solution.