Media Representation Of Nutrition Research

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: Participants will be able to apply a three-point strategy for interpreting nutrition reports in the newspaper.The researchers studied discrepancies between newspaper reports of nutrition-related scientific research and the actual research. The purpose was to answer the following:• Do newspaper headlines accurately represent scientific research?• What areas of the research are likely to be misrepresented?• Does the journalist state where to find the original study?• Is there a difference in accuracy among newspapers?• Is it possible to develop guidelines for discerning readers?The sample was obtained in two ways. First, Data Times was searched for all weekday articles appearing in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times using key words related to diet and nutrition from January 1, 1995 through June 30,1995. This was followed with manual searches of The New York Times for six months, The Wall Street Journal for two months and a six-month search of The Seattle Times using a CD-ROM to spot-check Data Times findings. Over 100 usable articles were matched with the appropriate journal report and rated on a 14-point scale.The results demonstrate a significant difference among newspapers and between signed and wire service articles. Additionally, news headlines tend to focus on partial study results, journalists usually ignore methodology and rarely discuss design flaws but seem to accurately report one of the study results. Journalists include practical applications of study results. The consumer (including the professional), on the other hand, might only see the news headline which focuses on a narrow aspect of the study. Results from this study can guide people in their evaluation of the news, identify areas where researchers can improve their communication skills and journalists can scrutinize the research about which they are reporting.