The Future of Global Health Journalism
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TAKING THE TEMPERATURE: The Future of Global Health Journalism February 2011 A REPORT FOR The Kaiser Family Foundation By Nellie Bristol and John Donnelly Acknowledgements: Several Kaiser Family Foundation staff assisted with this project. Jill Braden Balderas and Penny Duckham offered editorial guidance. Jennifer Evans and Jaclyn Schiff provided copy editing and research. This report was commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The views in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation. This report is part of Kaiser’s Global Health Policy Project, which is supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 INTRODUctION 4 THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL HEALTH JOURNALISM 20 QUESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE 22 APPENDIX 1: Graphics 25 APPENDIX 2: Methodology and Interviewee List EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXEC or more than five years, much of the mainstream media in the United States has been foundering economically. FJournalism’s problems were further exacerbated by the global economic downturn in 2008, which resulted in even more cuts to newsroom resources. Staff downsizing and budget reductions have forced reporters and editors to do more with less and impacted both the depth and breadth of reporting at many outlets. This report set out to understand how coverage of U global health issues might have fallen victim to the overall problems facing journalism and whether this beat faced unique T challenges of its own. I V E S Interviews with 51 stakeholders in global health journalism—reporters, editors and producers in either mainstream media or at specialized outlets like trade and policy publications; freelance writers and broadcasters; writers and editors of global health advocacy outlets as well as peer-reviewed journals; and funders of journalism—provided a window into was happening in global health journalism in the U.S. and in select outlets abroad. How were challenges they faced influencing the type and amount UMM of global health coverage available to the public and policymakers? What were the most important trends in reporting global health issues and what could they portend for the future? With mainstream journalism mired in economic trouble, what were the prospects for funding independent journalism going forward? A Several common themes emerged from the interviews. The As the future of global health journalism unfolds, the R majority of respondents left little doubt that the industry’s trends outlined in this report raise questions worth financial struggles have affected global health reporting. exploring, including: Y Foreign bureau closings and diminished travel budgets 1) While outside funding of global health journalism greatly reduced respondents’ ability to report on health represents a current bright spot, how sustainable is in other countries. Additionally, the U.S. media’s focus on it? If funding through this method continues to grow, “hyperlocal news” reduced available space for international what safeguards are in place to ensure journalistic stories. Less coverage was not only a resource issue, but independence? Are there other opportunities to pay for independent global health journalism? what some saw as story fatigue or lack of fresh angles on health stories in developing countries, especially related 2) Are the evolving specialty and online outlets for global to HIV/AIDS. Many, though not all, found policy angles, health news reaching policymakers and the public with independent coverage that will help them understand such as U.S. government efforts to improve global health, global health issues? difficult to incorporate into their stories, and much of the existing coverage tended towards infectious disease 3) If advocacy organizations maintain or even increase provision of information and images to the media, outbreaks and disaster-related health issues. how might this affect journalistic integrity, especially if Still, a few of those interviewed detailed how they were financial constraints facing news organizations remain? able to report on a variety of global health topics. Of 4) How will the continual evolution of social media, those reporters, editors, and producers, many were able which is widely used by the global health advocacy to continue, and sometimes even increase, coverage community, impact how global health is covered in of global health issues often with support from outside mainstream journalism? funding sources. This report also examined how specialized 5) As donors spend on global health programs at record publications, such as online-only news sites or health- levels and the U.S. moves forward with plans to tackle global health problems more broadly than prior efforts related journals, have begun to provide some independent focused on specific diseases, how might coverage of journalism on global health. At the same time, advocacy relevant policy issues change? organizations have started to produce their own types 6) What are some global health issues and angles that of “news” that not only inform their constituencies, but could use more coverage? in some cases have provided content for mainstream media. So while the flow of global health news may no longer be concentrated in the mainstream media, there is no shortage of information available for those who know where to look. February 2011 TAKING THE TEMPERatURE: The Future of Global Health Journalism 1 INTRODUCTION or more than five years, much of the mainstream media in the United States has been foundering economically. Newsroom on I Fdownsizing has forced reporters and editors to do more with less and impacted both the depth and breadth of reporting at many outlets. This report set out to understand how coverage of global health issues might have fallen victim to the overall ct problems facing journalism today and whether this beat faced unique challenges of its own. The Kaiser Family Foundation commissioned journalists Nellie Bristol and John Donnelly to interview a variety of stakeholders DU in global health journalism. The interviewees were selected based on their beats and the varying degrees to which they covered or tracked U.S. policy on global health and health issues faced by the developing world. Those interviewed included reporters, O editors and producers working in mostly U.S. mainstream media; writers and editors for specialized outlets like trade and policy R publications; freelance writers and broadcasters; writers and editors of global health advocacy outlets as well as peer-reviewed journals; and funders of journalism. The goal of this endeavor was to provide a “case study” snapshot in time from a variety of perspectives to illustrate how the media are covering global health issues (more information on the study design, interviewer Int biographies and list of interviewees is available in Appendix 2). This report aimed to answer several questions through the Global health coverage caught up in interviews, conducted from May 2010 to November 2010: media’s financial woes, faces specific What exactly was happening in global health journalism struggles in the U.S. and in select outlets abroad? How were The telling anecdotes amassed in the interviews gave an challenges currently faced by the media overall influencing overview of the state of global health journalism. The new the type and amount of coverage available to the public reality of media downsizing was reflected in the frustrated and policymakers? What were the most important trends comments of global health reporters and editors, many of in the reporting of global health issues and what might whom had been in the field for decades. As detailed in this they portend for the future? With mainstream journalism report, many of those interviewed said their outlets were mired in economic trouble, what were the prospects for covering global health with less vigor and commitment than funding independent journalism going forward? While the they have in the recent past. 51 global health journalism stakeholders who shared their The consequences of staff reductions and budget cuts comments in interviews constitute an experienced group across the media have been severalfold for global health of professionals, this report is qualitative in nature and the coverage. Some veteran global health reporters have views and findings from respondents are not necessarily left the business. In most cases, when these specialized representative of the media as a whole. reporters depart, the coverage goes with them. This has KAISER’S GLOBAL HEALTH GATEWAY The Kaiser Family Foundation’s The Foundation also produces the These resources are designed to offer a global health gateway is an online Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, comprehensive picture of the U.S. global clearinghouse for the latest data and whose staff search hundreds of news health policy landscape, highlighting key information on the U.S. role in global sources each day to bring readers the issues facing policymakers, journalists, health. It brings together original latest, most relevant information on U.S. non-governmental organizations, and policy analysis and research from the global health policy developments and others working in the global health Foundation, follows legislation and other related news. Stories range from health arena. The Kaiser Family Foundation developments through a Policy Tracker, issues on the ground in developing receives substantial support for its work features fact sheets and country-level countries