Troublesome TV Trends

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"Many Americans consider television their most important source of news and information on health," but TV is also "one of the least trusted sources." A study of 840 TV news health segments by communications professor Gary Schwitzer revealed "10 troublesome trends," including extreme brevity, little or no data, exaggeration and commercialism. "Rather than reporting on a company's hopes for its product or the potential sales, journalists could better serve their audiences by reporting on the evidence for and against a product," Schwitzer writes. Moreover, there was "little coverage of health policy." Stories on "cosmetic health (wrinkle removing, liposuction, face lifts)" almost outnumbered stories on Medicare, Medicaid, managed care and health costs.