Abstract
The microbiome is a matter of interest for science, consumers and business. Our objective is to quantify that interest in academic journals and newspapers, both quantitatively and by study design. We calculated the number of articles on the microbiome from the total number of biomedicine articles featured in both PubMed and Spanish science news agency SINC, from 2008 to 2018. We used the Factiva database to identify news stories on microbiome papers in three general newspapers (The New York Times, The Times and El País) and three business newspapers (The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and Expansión), from 2007 to 2019. Then, we compared news stories with microbiome papers in PubMed, while also analyzing the frequencies of five study design types, both in the newspapers and in the papers themselves. Microbiome papers represented 0.8% of biomedicine papers in PubMed from 2008 to 2018 (increasing from 0.4% to 1.4%), while microbiome news published by SINC represented 1.6% of total biomedical news stories during the same period (increasing from 0.2% to 2.2%). The number of news stories on microbiome papers correlated with the number of microbiome papers (0.91, p < 0.001) featured in general newspapers, but not in business ones. News stories on microbiome papers represented 78.9% and 42.7% of all microbiome articles in general and business newspapers, respectively. Both media outlet types tended to over-report observational studies in humans while under-reporting environmental studies, while the representation of systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials, randomized controlled trials and animal/laboratory studies was similar when comparing newspapers and PubMed. The microbiome is receiving increasing attention in academic journals and newspapers. News stories on the microbiome in general and business newspapers are mostly based on research findings and are more interested in observational studies in humans and less in environmental studies compared to PubMed.
Highlights
On 19 December 2007, four years after the completion of the Human Genome Project, the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), conceived as a “second human genome project” [1], was launched
Our objective is to quantify that interest in academic journals and newspapers, both quantitatively and by study design
To analyze which study designs made the news compared to PubMed, we focused on microbiome news stories that cited at least one
Summary
On 19 December 2007, four years after the completion of the Human Genome Project, the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), conceived as a “second human genome project” [1], was launched. HMP focuses on microbial communities and their genomes on and in the human body, collectively known as the microbiome [2]. Research into the microbiome dates back to the early 20th century [3]. Much research in the field has focused on the link between the microbiome and physical and mental well-being, with current unknowns highlighting the need for advancement [5]. An altered human microbiome has been associated with the development of a wide range of diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disorders, and brain diseases, causation has yet to be established [6]. Microbiome research has implications for food production [7] and for achieving an environmentally sustainable future [8]
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