Nov 02, 2009
Flu news may be overwhelming, but media reports often helpful
Posted by: Carolyn Bobo
Information about H1N1 flu, is ubiquitous, likely to lead the news in any and all media outlets. This is a good thing, says Nann Goplerud, left, interim chair of the Department of News in the Mayborn School of Journalism.
“An event like the H1N1 flu outbreak is a perfect opportunity for the traditional news media to again demonstrate its importance to society,” she says. “The tone of the news coverage is critical in a situation like this - in print, on air and online. This kind of public health emergency is an opportunity for the media to show it’s not going to cause a panic, but instead create calm by providing expert advice from medical professionals, updated information on school closings, trends in the spread of the illness, resources about care and other information that will help consumers make choices about their health.”
That’s a comforting thought for parents, says Wendy Middlemiss, associate professor of educational psychology. News about flu-related deaths of children and teenagers may make it difficult for young viewers to understand flu news.
“Lots of kids are going to be frightened,” Middlemiss says. “You want to talk to them about their fears and discuss certain precautions. Keep it simple and factual. Don’t be overly histrionic.”
If children ask whether they or their friends could die if they contact the swine flu, it is important to answer questions directly and clearly note again that most children recover easily.
Middlemiss suggests focusing on what can be done to prevent the flu, such as hand washing and covering mouths when sneezing or coughing. Parents should practice washing their hands with young children. Middlemiss suggests giving children travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer and instructing them to use it before every class.
Limiting television coverage for children is also wise, Middlemiss says. Children under 6 are too young to watch the news. For elementary and middle school students, some news watching is OK as long as it is supervised and done in moderation.
Goplerud cautions that the media must strike a balance between convincing people a threat is serious while not causing widespread panic. "Both the beauty and the danger of the 24/7 Internet has to do with access to information — beauty because the information is always available, danger because much of it is incorrect or simply made up," she says.
The media can provide well-researched, timely information. "The better informed people are and the more easily they can access information, the more able they are to take steps to prevent another widespread illness," says Goplerud.
Posted by: Carolyn Bobo
Information about H1N1 flu, is ubiquitous, likely to lead the news in any and all media outlets. This is a good thing, says Nann Goplerud, left, interim chair of the Department of News in the Mayborn School of Journalism. “An event like the H1N1 flu outbreak is a perfect opportunity for the traditional news media to again demonstrate its importance to society,” she says. “The tone of the news coverage is critical in a situation like this - in print, on air and online. This kind of public health emergency is an opportunity for the media to show it’s not going to cause a panic, but instead create calm by providing expert advice from medical professionals, updated information on school closings, trends in the spread of the illness, resources about care and other information that will help consumers make choices about their health.”
That’s a comforting thought for parents, says Wendy Middlemiss, associate professor of educational psychology. News about flu-related deaths of children and teenagers may make it difficult for young viewers to understand flu news.
“Lots of kids are going to be frightened,” Middlemiss says. “You want to talk to them about their fears and discuss certain precautions. Keep it simple and factual. Don’t be overly histrionic.”
If children ask whether they or their friends could die if they contact the swine flu, it is important to answer questions directly and clearly note again that most children recover easily.
Middlemiss suggests focusing on what can be done to prevent the flu, such as hand washing and covering mouths when sneezing or coughing. Parents should practice washing their hands with young children. Middlemiss suggests giving children travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer and instructing them to use it before every class. Limiting television coverage for children is also wise, Middlemiss says. Children under 6 are too young to watch the news. For elementary and middle school students, some news watching is OK as long as it is supervised and done in moderation.
Goplerud cautions that the media must strike a balance between convincing people a threat is serious while not causing widespread panic. "Both the beauty and the danger of the 24/7 Internet has to do with access to information — beauty because the information is always available, danger because much of it is incorrect or simply made up," she says.
The media can provide well-researched, timely information. "The better informed people are and the more easily they can access information, the more able they are to take steps to prevent another widespread illness," says Goplerud.
4:33 PM
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