Beyond the Captivating Headlines: How to Make Sense of a Health News Story

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Is the health news story accurate? Did a recent study prove that coffee may lower the risk of stroke?  How was it reported? Writing magnetic headlines are required for any writer. After all, headlines capture your attention and at that moment you will decide whether to read the piece or not. According to Copyblogger, “On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out…

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Social Media: Top 5 Useful Health Tweets

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA Twitter is a powerful form of social media, and it is a phenomenal resource for sharing information.  Twitter can help improve your health. A significant blog on Mashable, “HOW TO: Use Social Media for Better Health” by Ben Parr, he writes that “Healthy living can be a shared experience.” Social media is about connections and information, while healthy living is about consistency and knowledge. Combined, social media can bring…

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How to Filter Cancer Prevention Headlines

Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center Most of us can’t keep up with all the new ways to avoid cancer. Thanks to the Internet, we now have an unlimited supply of cancer knowledge at our fingertips.  But, how can we filter out the good, the bad and the questionable? Below are steps to help you tease out the facts when reading that next big news story on preventing cancer. Says who? Don’t just…

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Health Journalism: Have we reached new lows?

Guest post by Gary Schwitzer It doesn’t get much worse than this in health journalism; NY Daily News finds new lows By Gary Schwitzer [Original post published on Gary Schwitzer’s HealthNewsReview Blog, July 13, 2010 and reprinted with permission from Gary Schwitzer.] I know that many people just dismiss the New York Daily News, but you can’t dismiss the number of readers it has and the potential impact its stories may have on them –…

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Gary Schwitzer Notes Some Gems in Health News Reporting

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA In my post from Tuesday, June 15, 2010, “Digging Deep: The 411 Behind Medical News Headlines,” Gary Schwitzer, publisher at HealthNewsReview.org offers vital information for health consumers to help them identify accurate and balanced news reporting. Subsequent to publishing that post, Gary Schwitzer published his list of gems that shine among the rubble of daily health news. Gary admires the individuals, teams and news organizations responsible for these stories….

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