Comments on: Newspaper websites offer no cure on health-care reform

By: 75.64.160.129

75.64.160.129 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:45:18 +0000

I was traveling and just saw this now, but just wanted to say thanks. I’ve been on a big soapbox about this issue for several days now and have been beseeching local media in my city (Memphis) to do some digging as you’ve suggested.

Although resources are drastically down in newsrooms, this is the kind of story we should OWN. And it’s also the kind of story – like WMD in Iraq – that we later regret not watchdogging hard enough while the decisions were being made.

Carrie Brown
Assistant Professor of Journalism
University of Memphis
Twitter: @brizzyc

By: Tom Grubisich

Tom Grubisich — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:09:35 +0000

Why can’t newspaper web editors do what Gary is teaching his students to do so successfully? With a bit of browsing and a few keystrokes at the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care site, the editors could produce revealing news about the quality and cost of health care in their communities — news that could help shape the outcome of health-care-reform legislation.

By: 24.118.202.247

24.118.202.247 — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:08:32 +0000

I have taught undergrads in an introductory health journalism course how to use the Dartmouth Atlas to tell the kinds of stories you long for.

In two courses the past two years, students have shown a mastery of the Atlas database.

Wherever you live in this country, there’s a story in the Atlas data – whether you live in a high-use, low-use or midpoint region. It shows that we don’t know what the right rate is, and that, as Jack Wennberg says, “Geography is destiny in U.S. health care.” This should be at the core of any health care reform discussion – and any journalism about health care reform.

Gary Schwitzer
Associate Professor
University of Minnesota
School of Journalism & Mass Communication
Publisher, http://www.HealthNewsReview.org
Publisher, htttp://http://blog.lib.umn.edu/schwitz/healthnews/

By: 209.234.167.30

209.234.167.30 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:11:45 +0000

Hi Tom,

Great article. This is true for most media outlets. However, SDNN.com has a “The state of your health care” section, which encompasses coverage of Obama’s reform plan, California health cuts, County health cuts. In addition, we’ll have stories on alternative medicine and preventive care. It also includes opinion pieces.

It’s a working page that will be updated each week.

Please check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Hoa Quach
http://www.sdnn.com/the-state-of-your-health-care

By: 70.127.233.225

70.127.233.225 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:44:40 +0000

I have a hard time understanding how anyone other than the executives and shareholders of the private insurance companies could think that our current healthcare system is meeting the needs of the American people. I’m a medical professional myself and support universal health care reform. I’ve written my Congressman, Senators, and the President on more than one occasion and have also called their offices to voice my support for reform. I’ve also spent countless hours researching what the best overall way is to bring down long term costs in order to provide everybody accessible and affordable health care. Here’s my solutions – http://bit.ly/9QLV8.

By: Freeda Z

Freeda Z — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:20:48 +0000

Health care reform that guarantees quality, affordable care for everyone in the United States is one by one being realized. Now people are up in arms over HR 3200, and maybe they should be. HR 3200 is a health care bill, and what it does is that it will provide affordable health care for all, and curtail medical costs. It also makes it mandatory for all Americans to have health insurance, but creates a government run (taxpayer funded) alternative to private insurance, prohibits exclusion on basis of pre-existing condition, and then (here’s the kicker) places a surtax on all households that earn more than $350,000 to pay for it. (To be fair, they don’t need sympathy.) The bill HR 3200 is likely to be wildly unpopular, even if it might mean fewer people needing emergency cash loans to see a doctor. http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/07/21/hr-3200-pay/

By: Tom Grubisich

Tom Grubisich — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:18:09 +0000

I’d like to add that the Washington Post has had some good Washington-based coverage of health-care reform. Columnist David Broder has written several on-the-mark pieces, including this one on the pro’s and con’s of the proposed Independent Medical Advisory Council to help get control over soaring costs and improve the ragged quality of care — http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072402079.html. Post reporter Dan Eggen did a great piece on the flow of health industry lobbying money to legislation drafters — http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/20/AR2009072003363.html?sub=AR. But where is the Post’s (and reporter Michael Dobbs’) wonderful repurposing of Pinocchio as “the Fact Checker” that was such a big hit in the 2008 presidential campaign? http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/09/spreading_dirt_on_palin–and_o.html

I’d love to see the length of the noses that would be attached to the anti-reform claims that are coming from Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats.

By: Robert Niles

Robert Niles — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:11:01 +0000

Two more points:

First, Talking Points Memo has done some great work to uncover the attempt by some lobbyists to “astroturf” anti-reform protests at town hall meetings on health care. If you’re reporting on protests, and not reporting who orchestrated them, you’re not only missing the news, you are playing into the hands of orchestrators.

Second, if you’re running an independent local news website, or thinking about starting one – here’s your chance to build an audience. If your local newspaper website is falling down, like Tom describes, don’t wait for them to pick it up. Take their audience away with aggressive coverage like Tom describes.