Phenomenon of manipulation at the health news

Introduction

One of the basic needs of human beings are to receive information and the news about the world they live in. The Means of Mass Media satisfy this need. The Primary mission of the Press in the democratic systems is to inform the public, as a requirement of social responsibility, with true and measured news, regarding the welfare of the society without manipulation, partiality. By this study, it has been aimed to measure whether the health related news in the press are apt to misinform or mislead or misguide the reader, in consequence of which some undesired results may occur.

Method

In this particular research, the health news in the newspapers that appeared in the calendar year of 2007 and the advertisements (if there is any) alluding to certain health news were analysed. Other types of newspaper reports were excluded. 324 news were selected to represent each season (January-April-July-November) reported in Cumhuriyet, Hürriyet, Milliyet, Zaman, Sabah, Günaydın, Posta and Vatan (Turkish) with respect to professional principles of journalism, content analysis method.

The following issues in the press have been examined proportionally:

- News source reliability,

- Consideration of personal differentiation or generalization;

- Information whose authentication is not proved; missing information; some information they may lead fault.

- Information which might change the general attitudes of people related to health;

- Directing to a specific product or treatment;

- Analysis of advertisements or secret advertisements.

Findings

Ratio of health news in the newspapers are between 6-10%.

News source reliability is 47.8%. Personal differentiation has been considered as of 28.1%, and the generalization has been conducted in 71.9%. Information which is not authenticated or missing possibly is %70.6.

38% of information are likely to change the general attitudes of people related to health, to direct to a specific product. While a solution for a certain health problem is suggested, in 6,7% of the news direct the reader to a specific product or treatment. The ratio of advertisements is 16,2%, the secret advertisements is %4.

News having “parties” (21%), balanced / equally treated news is 19%.

In the sensational and magazine dominant newspapers, the headlines goes with “do/does” at the rate of 28,4%, in these news the information presented are either unproved or without a universal validity, and there are some missing or incomplete information.

Conclusion

The health news is supposed to have the following; difference of time, place, possibility, personal and physical differences; dosage, usage, personal history and current condition of the patient. These aspects must be considered and they must not generalize the issues that have not gained general validity yet.

Health news should not be a matter of commercial expectations. A special attention to source reliability in heath news must be paid with great care. The information provided must be proved by an expert in the field and then be published.

Keywords: Health news, manipulation, social responsibility