• DOI:10.1080/713851972
• Corpus ID: 26751743

Mass Media, Public Health, and Achieving Health Literacy

@article{Payne2003MassMP,
  title={Mass Media, Public Health, and Achieving Health Literacy},
  author={James Gregory Payne and Skye K Schulte},
  journal={Journal of Health Communication},
  year={2003},
  volume={8},
  pages={124 - 125}
}

• J. G. Payne, Skye K Schulte
• Published 1 June 2003
• Political Science, Medicine
• Journal of Health Communication

Mass media agendas and health communication objectives can be authoritative allies or forceful foes when it comes to supplying the public with accurate and timely health information. We have learned from the field of risk communication that conveying health information must be done in a balanced and accurate way to facilitate the needed safety measures without promoting panic. Unfortunately, the goals of mass media and public health rarely match up. At no time was this more evident than during the anthrax scares in October–December 2001. Terrorism—be it biological, chemical, or nuclear—could have serious effects on the public’s health, use of the health care infrastructure, and trust in governmental oversight. People providing information to the public have a responsibility to report accurate health information, especially in the event of an emergency. But, even with pledges for ethical dissemination of information, disconnects often exist between the source of the information and those receiving the message. Several contributors to this special issue highlight the importance of health literacy in getting truthful and timely information to the public. Given the ‘‘mediated reality’’ and misinformation that is often rampant in medical and health stories, steps must be taken to minimize potentially harmful effects and provide consumers with the skills necessary to apply specific health information to their own lives. For example, much of the public’s mistrust in the government and taking matters into their own hands (such as getting a prescription for Cipro or buying ‘‘anti-bioterrorism kits’’ online) might have been avoided had the Surgeon General stepped forward during the anthrax crisis. Instead, health communication professionals were not adequately deployed, consumers were not quickly informed about real risks, and useful safety messages were garbled at best. As has been pointed out herein, health literacy is complicated and opportunities to advance it should be seized. Time is of the essence in this regard as large parts of the U.S. population are being vaccinated against smallpox. Current events such as this should serve as opportunities to teach. In addition, we would like to propose the following goals for the U.S. government, public health officials, and the media: