Pushing back on the snake-oil of social media

Good journalism that asks difficult questions and calls out quackery and fake news has never been more important — particularly in the fields of health and medicine, where misinformation can inflict serious and long-term harms.

In his opening remarks at the recent MJA Awards, chair and Sunday Times health editor, Shaun Lintern, highlighted the need for all journalists to respond to this challenge and think about how we can push back on misinformation and encourage our readers and audiences to engage with evidence-based journalism.

“As health journalists, we play a vital role in society. We inform, we educate, and sometimes, we even manage to do it accurately,” he joked.

Incredible work

“Just look at the incredible work that’s been shortlisted for awards tonight. We have investigations exposing shocking levels of sexual assault in the NHS, deep dives into children’s gender care, and powerful stories about the impact of climate change on health in places like Malawi. Groundbreaking reporting on cancer research, mental health, and much more.

“Your work matters. In an age of misinformation and ‘fake news’, reliable, evidence-based health journalism is more important than ever. You are the antidote to the snake oil salesmen of social media. You are the voice of reason in a sea of conspiracy theories. And sometimes, you’re even interesting enough to make people look up from their phones for a few minutes.

Need to adapt

“But we cannot rest on our laurels. The landscape of journalism is changing rapidly, and we need to adapt. Social media has transformed how people consume news. Attention spans are shorter than ever. And “news avoidance” is becoming increasingly common as people feel overwhelmed by the constant barrage of information.”

And he issued this challenge: “We all need to up our game. How can we make our reporting more engaging without sacrificing accuracy? How can we reach younger audiences who may not be picking up a newspaper or tuning into the evening news? How can we combat health misinformation effectively?

“The work represented here tonight is truly outstanding and demonstrates much of what I am talking about. It’s truly humbling to see the level of quality on display whether that be from my good friends at the HSJ and other B2B titles or the big boys of Fleet Street and national broadcasters.
So, to all of you – whether you’re a nominee, a winner, or someone who’s just here for the free drinks – thank you. Thank you for your dedication, your integrity, and your commitment to excellence in health journalism.”

What can we do?

So, how do you think the MJA and members can do more in the fight against fake news? Obviously the Awards are a great way to champion excellence in health and medical journalism, we partner with the Sarah Hughes Trust to support the annual prize in her name and we spotlight the work of organisations such as Sense About Science which promotes the public interest in sound science and evidence and encourages the public to ‘ask for the evidence’.

Many of us receive press releases with questionable claims, particularly in that murky overlap between health and ‘wellness’. Do you simply ignore them? Or are you ever tempted to reply pointing out the flaws and fallacies which are being promoted? Do you engage with conspiracy theorists and snake-oil promoters on social media?

Please share your thoughts and suggestions on combatting fake news and promoting evidence-based journalism in comments.

Watch Shaun’s comments — and check our more Awards clips here