(Health) news you can't use
In 2003, researchers found that an antioxidant in red wine could improve health. But new research says we've been guzzling misinformation. As part of our Eye on the Media series we're looking at the challenges of reporting on scientific studies.
According to this latest research from Johns Hopkins University, there is no correlation between red wine and a lower incidence of heart disease, cancer, or inflammation. And the same goes for chocolate.
The conflicting studies have left many people wondering who, and what, to believe when it comes to health and science news in general. And the journalists who cover health stories are equally flummoxed.
- Virginia Hughes is a science reporter. Her blog, Only Human, is hosted on the National Geographic Magazine website.
- Matt Shipman is a Public Information Officer at North Carolina State University.
- Alan Cassels is a Pharmaceutical Policy Researcher at the University of Victoria and the author of Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease.
When it comes to health reporting, do you think we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture?
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This segment was produced by The Current's Dawna Dingwall, Sarah Grant, and intern Deanne Bender.