The New Medical Journalism: Getting Your Foot in the Door

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The New Medical JournalismGetting Your Foot in
the Door

• Dan Childs
• Health Section Producer
• ABCNews.com

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Obligatory Introductory Slide

• Producer ABCNews.com Health Page
• Producer ABC News OnCall Project
• Past EditorCosmetic Surgery Beauty Magazine
• MA, Medical Journalism

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ABCNews.com Health Page
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ABCNews.com Health Page

• Primary Function
• Cover the News
• Feature Pieces/Columns
• How Do Medical Professionals Fit In?
• Interviews
• Research/Background
• Expert Contributions

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ABC News OnCall Project
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ABC News OnCall Project

• Primary Function
• Resource Site
• Supplement ABCNews.com Coverage
• How Do Medical Professionals Fit In?
• Research/Background
• Expert Videos
• Legitimacy
• New Paradigm for Online Collaboration?

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How Has the Internet Changed Journalism?
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How Has the Internet Changed Journalism?

• The Incredible Shrinking News Cycle
• The Deadline Is Dead
• Newspapers
• Cable News Networks
• Online News Sites
• The Next Step?
• Blogs
• Social Networks
• Citizen Journalism

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What Would Walter Say?

• I am dumbfounded that there hasn't been a
  crackdown with the libel and slander laws on some
  of these would-be writers and reporters on the
  Internet.Source Reuters, Cronkite, the
  'Newspaperman,' Lays Down His Pen, Aug 16, 2004

• Weve always known you can gain circulation or
  viewers by cheapening the product, and now you're
  finding the bad driving out the good.Source
  American Journalism Review, And That's the Way
  It Is, May, 1994

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The Best of Times

• Between 75 and 80 of Internet users have looked
  online for health information 150 million
  people.
• 75 of patients with chronic conditions accessing
  health information online said their last health
  search affected a treatment decision.
• 55 of other patients said their last health
  search affected a treatment decision.
• Sources
• The Pew Internet American Life Project, Aug
  26, 2008
• Harris Interactive Poll, Aug 20, 2008

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The Best of Times?

• Growing repository of health information online
• Growing interest among consumers for health
  information and in-depth health news
• Growing potential for education

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The Worst of Times?

• Accuracy Casualty of a New Medium?
• Breast cancer information online often inaccurate
  (Cancer, Mar. 2008)
• Google search term breast cancer
• http//www.naturalnews.com/Cancer.html
• Vaccination battle rages online (Journal of
  Medical Internet Research, June 2008)
• Google search term vaccine
• http//www.vaclib.org/

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How Does the Media Do?

• Generally, not too bad but this is not good
  enough...
• Scare science
• That 'new shower curtain smell' gives off toxic
  chemicals, study finds June 13, 2008
• The knock-down piece

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How Does the Media Do?
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How Does the Media Do?

• Frivolous health stories
• Bald and Broken Inside Britney's Shaved Head
  Feb. 19, 2007
• Unbalanced coverage
• Celeb Couple to Lead 'Green Vaccine' Rally
  June 4, 2008
• Naked Speculation
• Ralph Fiennes -- Cheeky or Compulsive? Feb.
  16, 2007
• Almost any Michael Jackson story written in the
  past month or so
• Just plain inaccurate

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The Editorial Process
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The Editorial Process

• Where do we start?
• Embargoed studies
• Breaking news
• Feature angles of interest
• Weighing the options
• Is it big?
• Is it new?
• Are people going to care?
• Where do medical professionals fit?

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Why Look to the Web?

• Todays journalism faces incredible time pressure
• A passive in for medical institutions
• Useful information?
• Media contact information
• Press releases
• Research and other materials

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Why Look to the Web?

• Standouts
• Mayo Clinic (http//www.mayoclinic.com/)
• Harvard University Medical School
  (http//hms.harvard.edu/public/consumer/)

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The Quid-Pro-Quo Dance
Glenkinchie 12-Year Edinburg Single Malt

• Nose Light and sweet with barley-malt, green
  grass and wisps of autumn smoke
• Body Firm, light
• Finish Surprisingly dry with smoky spiciness
• 50

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Working with the media

• Online journalism as a medium for collaboration
• ABC News OnCall contributors
• ABC News Medical Unit Expert Database

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ABC News OnCall
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ABC News Med Unit Database

• 4,000 Medical Experts by Specialty and Public
  Relations Staff
• 400 Medical Institutions
• Experts
• Special Centers
• Ability to Shoot/Uplink Video

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So You Want to Be an Online Medical News
Contributor

• What to do before you pitch
• Hone Your Writing Skills
• Find outlets for clips
• Follow the best examples you can find
• Stay on the Cutting Edge of Research
• Stay abreast of exciting, embargoed studies
• Be Prepared to Write for Free
• (Or beer)

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The Art of the Pitch

• Offer clips if possible
• Follow the news
• Know what we want!
• Act quickly
• Make your pitch count
• Learn how to write a headline and lede

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ABCNews.com Contributors

• Dr. Marie Savard
• Author
• Womens Health
• General Consumer Health
• Dr. Nortin Hadler
• Author
• Rheumatologist, UNC-Chapel Hill
• Health Policy

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New Media On the Horizon

• Websites
• Blogs
• Social Networking
• Facebook, Friendster, LinkedIn
• Twitter???
• Pros Quick, short
• Cons Untested
• Mobile Reporting

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Thanks for your attention!