How do you tell the stories of children or teenagers who have stigmatizing health problems without causing harm once the story is published? Laurie Udesky offers tips for reporting with sensitivity — but still getting the story.... more »
Journalist Paul Kleyman, who has covered aging issues for more than 20 years, offers tips for covering aging in an era of health reform and increasing diversity among seniors. ... more »
Environmental health reporting sheds light on some of the most important decisions a person can make – about their health, their ability to have children, the health of their children, the health of their world. But first you have to get... more »
Like writing about abortion or animal rights, writing about vaccines inevitably raises the ire of certain readers. It is not for the timid. Journalist Amy Wallace writes about being sued by an anti-vaccine activist and offers tips for... more »
Journalists are using geographic information software (GIS) to map data for stories and graphics about toxic health threats, prescription medicine abuse and EMS response times. Here are more ideas for using GIS in your health reporting.... more »
Media coverage of health care quality often hinges on a doctor's personality, rather than measured quality outcomes. Here's a quick primer for journalists looking to do better reporting.... more »
Get tips for covering the brave new world of personal genomics from a genetic scientist and writer who had his own genome sequenced — then wrote a book about it.... more »
Pulling off a narrative story in the medical world requires a different kind of story thinking and reporting. Here are tips from a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter.... more »
Help wanted. Pay not so great. Excellent chance of injury. No phone calls. You’ll never see an ad like this in the classifieds, but it’s a good description for many jobs today. Get tips for reporting on occupational health and worker... more »
It’s not easy for journalists to undertake testing on humans, nor should it be. But there are stories and situations where it is definitely warranted. Veteran journalist Janet Wilson draws from her own reporting experience to offer tips... more »
When it comes to climate change, the most important impacts of the emissions from our cars, power plants and factories are likely to be broad and indirect. Global warming needs to be examined not just from the perspective of medicine, ... more »
Health information technology is a complex and challenging topic to cover, and it's easy to get lost in the jargon. Veteran journalist Neil Versel offers background and story ideas for covering this issue in your community as health reform... more »
Eleven million Americans have eating disorders. Here are tips on covering this complex disease from a veteran journalist who faced the issue in her own family.... more »
Journalist Emily Schmidt had a rare opportunity to humanize the often-hidden story of domestic violence, and some of the systemic judicial problems that arise in connection with it. Here's what she learned.... more »
With the rise in MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant infections, the few that prove dangerous or deadly invariably make headlines or lead the evening news. Because even basic reporting can stir panic each time a cluster of... more »
Probably every health reporter in the country has been asked at one time or another to write a story about live organ donors. But is the obvious benefiit for the recipient really worth the risk to the living donor?... more »
Angelo Solis, a homeless chronic alcoholic, racked up nearly $1 million in medical charges over three years. His case represents the immense health care costs associated with homelessness. Sarah Arnquist offers advice on how to report on... more »
Rural adults are older, sicker, less educated, less well paid and less likely to have health insurance than their city counterparts. Here are some great tips for covering rural health issues — and avoiding common misconceptions — from... more »
Pairing English-language and ethnic media to report stories can be rewarding and result in great journalism — but it poses its own challenges. Sharon Salyer and Alejandro Dominguez share what they learned from each other in reporting an... more »
There are plenty of places to stumble in teaching kids how to do health journalism. Here are Marona Graham Bailey's do's and don'ts after her first summer teaching middle school students.... more »
The national story of poor dental health and its implications — former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher called it a "silent epidemic" in 2000 — isn't getting the attention it deserves. Journalist Eric Eyre lays out the issues and... more »
The best HIV/AIDS coverage delves beyond the latest statistics of how many people are infected, the publication of a new national plan, or the results from a study of a promising new treatment or preventive. Get tips for your own HIV/AIDS... more »
Two journalists offer tips for your reporting from their award-winning series on the striking gap in health and life expectancies between rich and poor neighborhoods.... more »
Imagine if your doctor asked your 12-year-old son to explain to you that you had just been diagnosed with cancer. Get tips and story ideas for covering medical translation, a critical service for millions of patients who don't speak English... more »
Native Americans experience higher disease rates than other Americans for problems ranging from diabetes and heart ailments to mental illness and suicides, which contribute to their lower life expectancy. Get tips from a veteran... more »
Journalists have to ask hard questions about where sources get their money – and about the science they are promoting. Following the money trail can be daunting. But journalists and whistleblowers are doing just that and uncovering... more »
Obesity is visible — walk down the street and you bump into it. Diabetes, on the other hand, is silent and tragic. Here are tips for reporting on the links between them.... more »
Not many reporters want to write about homeless people – and not many editors want to read about them. The subject is considered too depressing, too intractable. But there are few crises that are more important to cover – right now.... more »
The first step in asking a stranger to open up to you is to follow the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. Get more tips on interviewing patients from a veteran broadcast journalist.... more »
My odyssey into the world of tuberculosis began with a simple remark by a well-connected friend in the summer of 2007: "Have you heard that the county TB clinic is overwhelmed with cases?"... more »
There’s hardly a health story out there that cannot benefit from some good data – from estimates of the number of elderly Americans to hospital quality ratings for your community.
This article will help you find useful databases and... more »
Follow the money. That simple phrase – though never uttered by Bob Woodward’s most famous source – has propelled countless reporters to dig deeply into all manner of news stories.
And nearly four decades after Woodward and Carl... more »
It started on March 20, 2006, with what I thought was a one-shot story about the health care language gap. Two and a half years later, I am still writing follow-ups (more than 40 articles in all) about the story behind the original story â€... more »
Here's a recap of the latest developments on the health reform front, along with some helpful resources and story ideas for your community.
March 21, 2010, 10 p.m. PST... more »
Although scientists and public health officials have long worried that an avian flu virus would spark the world's next influenza pandemic — and developed emergency plans for it — it is a mutated swine flu virus that has emerged as the... more »
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What makes your community healthy or unhealthy? Use our step-by-step data reporting guide to uncover untold stories!
