Mass media is largely responsible for the spread of scientific advances, including healthcare news from research institutions. The press release is a common way for scientists to communicate research and ideas, both with other scientists and with the public. In the era of social media, news from press releases can create an immediate and constant flow of information. Considering that news media is the primary source of health and science information for most people, it can be profoundly influential over the decisions they make about their health.
Scientific articles that are submitted professional and scientific journals are subject to careful scrutiny from other researchers—a system which is used to catch mistakes and eliminate bias in the scientific community. These regulations, however, do not apply to news media companies, frequently leading to misrepresentations of original research, or “spin,” circulating in the media. Spin is an increasingly common characteristic of healthcare news, in which research findings are presented more favorably than what is justified by the actual results. Past studies comparing press releases to their corresponding peer-reviewed articles have shown that press releases on health advances are associated with exaggerated information and a failure to report scientific limitations (such as small study populations).
In recent years, mass media has drawn the public’s attention to traumatic brain injury (TBI), and televised injuries during sporting events have amplified TBI news coverage. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for the vast majority of head injuries, yet a significant portion of these cases fail to receive adequate medical attention. This may be partly due to misrepresentations of mTBI. Research shows that sports media companies frequently downplay the severity of head injuries, while solely focusing on entertainment and drama. In a study investigating the incidence of spin in mTBI-related press releases, 54 of 66 (84%) press releases exhibited some form of spin, including misleading titles, claims, and inappropriately extrapolated information.
Navigating an mTBI can be challenging in itself, and the influx of navigating through often inconsistent news about mTBI can be overwhelming. Using strategies to identify spin and find trustworthy sources are important steps towards filtering out which media reports are trustworthy or not. To recognize spin in the media:
- Look for a citation. One study found that 48% of press releases about mTBI provided neither the name nor the link to the original research article. By choosing news sources that provide access to the source of information, people can verify what they read in the media.
- Use an unbiased website. News sites can provide vast amounts of up-to-date information, but extra scrutiny should be used when searching for healthcare sources to ensure that the information is unbiased and accurate. A good place to start is to look for .edu and .gov websites, which represent well-established academic and government institutions and are often the source of original research.
- Start from the source. Reading dense scientific papers with difficult terminology is a daunting task. However, using strategies such as reading the abstract may create an effective way to learn new scientific information directly from the source.
References:
Choi A, Feller E. Misrepresentation of mild traumatic brain injury research in press releases. PM&R. (May 2021).
Kennard M, McLellan T, McKinlay A. Sports media representations of concussions in the National Rugby League. Australian Psychological Society. (January 2017).
Sumner P, Vivian-Griffiths S, Boivin J, et al. Exaggerations and caveats in press releases and health-related science news. PLOS One. (December 2016).