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As people get the H1N1 vaccine, there will inevitably be cases of seizures, heart attacks, strokes and miscarriages -- all unrelated to the vaccine itself. Centers for Disease Control media relations director Glen Nowak says his agency is reminding reporters about the difference between correlation and causation.
A 14-year-old British girl named Natalie Morton died last week after receiving a vaccine for cervical cancer. Her tragic death was a result of a tumor near her heart but the media coverage stoked the nation's fear about vaccines. Physician and Guardian columnist Ben Goldacre says the media often exacerbate vaccine phobia.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford authorized the National Influenza Immunization Program to inoculate every American against an impending swine flu epidemic. But despite government predictions of one million dead, only one confirmed fatality was recorded by the end of the year. In May, Bob spoke with science writer Patrick Di Justo, who recalled the last time the media developed a fever over a mild case of flu.
Science departments at newspapers everywhere are shrinking. One outlet that aims to help fill the coverage gap is Futurity.org, a new website that lets scientists publish their findings directly to the public. Michael Schoenfeld, Futurity’s co-founder, explains the site’s mission.
The NHL's Los Angeles Kings have decided to take their media destiny into their own hands –- hiring veteran sports reporter Rich Hammond who, until recently, covered the Kings for the L.A. Daily News. That’s right, Hammond will now be a full-time Kings reporter whose stories will appear on the Kings’ web site and whose salary will be paid by the Kings. He explains.
Google recently released a video explaining how it ranks news stories. Brent Payne, director of search engine optimization for Tribune Interactive, was paying attention. His job is to ensure that a Tribune article lands on the front page of Google’s search results. Will Google lead newspapers to cover stories they wouldn’t have in the past? Payne says yes, but he insists that the Search Engine Optimizer hasn't affected the company's journalistic integrity.
The FTC issued new guidelines for bloggers, tweeters, Facebookers, and anyone else who regularly posts reviews on the Internet. Beware: if you endorse a product, and are in any way compensated for your kind words, you must “clearly and conspicuously” reveal the nature of your payment. Word of Mouth Marketing author Andy Sernovitz says “hear, hear!”
When it comes to rating products online, it turns out we're way too nice. The average out of 5 stars for things like dog food, printer paper or boots is 4.3 and as The Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler explains, all that kindness is actually kind of a problem.
Highlights from Past Shows
Much attention has been paid to three provisions of The Patriot Act set to expire this year, but civil libertarians say the focus should be on a lesser noticed portion of the law having to do with National Security Letters. Greg Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology, says the NSL's are often misused.
Washington is paying attention to the newspaper crisis. The president has even weighed in. But some worry that any government help would create a conflict of interest. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), sponsor of The Newspaper Revitalization Act, and Jim Moroney, publisher of The Dallas Morning News discuss what role, if any, the government should play in saving newspapers.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
