DAVID FINER*

* David Finer is a medical writer.

THE role and particular responsibilities of medical journalists came under scrutiny at a Conference entitled Medicines-People-Media, held in Stockholm on 16 October 2001. With the Swedish Medicines Agency as main organizer and Health Minister, Lars Engqvist, as opening speaker, 150 people heard presentations and discussions ranging over some of the contentious issues surrounding media reporting on medicines.

Keynote speaker was David Gilbert, Head of the Patient and Public Involvement Commission for Health Improvement in the UK. He made the case that the media essentially fail to represent the consumer interest, actively disregarding vital health aspects, such as preventive and palliative medicine. Media messages are too often polarised in positive (hope) and negative (fear) directions. As the power of both media and pharmaceutical industries increase, so too do the commercial pressures on journalism, he said.

Speaking about the research process, Gilbert argued that once again consumer influence is rare, with Alzheimer's research an exception. He told the Conference that initial scientific scepticism has given way to enthusiasm for "real-life" patient input to the research process, generating new angles and safeguarding the relevance of the research. He urged that this experience should serve as an example for similar initiatives.

Another speaker addressed the issue of "critical medical journalism", saying that it is about refusing to become a passive megaphone, and about helping the audience separate fact from fantasy - reporting accurately about things of relevance. The representative of the WHO Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring in Uppsala, Sweden, focused on reporting drug safety issues. He spoke about the meaning of the Erice Declaration for drug safety (see Monitor No. 25/26, page 26, for further details). He reminded the audience of the Declaration's preamble which says that monitoring, evaluating and communicating drug safety must be governed by high scientific, ethical and professional standards as well as a moral code.

Media fail the consumer

Taking up a theme in the keynote speech, the Collaborating Centre representative summarised some current media failings, which he said include too little empowerment of both health care staff and patients as information receivers and too little analysis of their needs. In conclusion, he raised the important but frequently overlooked question of how to inform the vast number of people in high- and low-income countries who have literacy problems.

The day resulted in a number of proposals, including the need to formulate special ethical rules for medical journalists, and for them to assume greater responsibility for potential consequences of their reporting. Participants also called for active exploration of new forms for consumer participation and influence over media content.