Health journalism and features

This branch covers reporting and writing about health for general readers as journalism, divided by the work and judgements involved: independence, story selection, reporting, writing, coverage quality and subjects requiring particular care. It also covers relationships with researchers and changes in science journalism’s role. It leaves press releases, blogs and journalism career choices to neighbouring topics.

• What medical journalism is, and how it differs from medical writing — scope, public purpose, investigation, storytelling and criticism of science
• Where health journalism ends: independence, public relations and education — editorial independence, public relations, dual roles, sponsorship and the distinction between informing and educating
• Finding a health story and pitching it — story angles, outlets, query letters, editor responses, commissions and recasting a story
• Reporting a health story beyond the first convenient source — independent sources, gathering material, interpreting studies, institutional access and reporting on the ground
• Why researchers and reporters mistrust each other — surveys of mistrust and media experience, communication failures, sensationalism and speaking to reporters
• Writing an accurate and coherent feature — structure, titles and introductions, narrative coherence, plain language, accuracy, revision and editing after submission
• How health coverage goes wrong and how it is judged — overclaiming, ten assessment criteria, uncertainty, skewed coverage and communicating trade-offs
• Reporting subjects that need particular care — climate and sustainable development, safety and disability, and reporting a contested field
• How science journalism’s role is changing — accountability, dialogue, digital competition, new practice and training models, and the journalist’s changing role