Comments on: Medical miracle breakthrough in the news? Not so fast. . .

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:36:35 +0000

Thanks for your insider’s input, Tiffany – BTW, I love your Nerdy Baby site….🙂

By: electric boogaloo

electric boogaloo — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 05:26:38 +0000

I’ve worked for companies that produced video news releases. Basically any medical company can FILM AND PRODUCE their own news segment. They script and edit everything their experts say, they choose stock clips that make this look like an important issue, and they even write a narrator script. Then it’s sent out to news stations who have their reporters read the script over the filmed clips.

So when you see this “latest breakthrough” junk on the nightly news, it isn’t just silly reporting or lazy journalism. It is literally a commercial imbedded in the news. I doubt that big shows like 60 Minutes use VNRs as-is, but it sounds like they might use them as jumping off points for some of their reports.

LikeLike

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:32:09 +0000

I am really happy to find this post on “miracle” breakthroughs. Please post more for us to read… Thanks

LikeLike

By: Paige

Paige — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:50:16 +0000

Any ‘medical miracle breakthrough’ that’s blabbed about on TV breakfast shows is automatically lumped into the entertainment category, in my book. The public is so gullible – people marketing this stuff are laughing at us all the way to the bank. Don’t encourage them …

LikeLike

By: Chic

Chic — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:34:56 +0000

It’s all about “More coming up after the break…” and “Stay tuned!” – to keep up those media ratings. The actual truth of the story, if there even is one, is buried beneath the catchy headlines… Just this afternoon a friend emailed me a link to a network “health news” non-story that was transparently patchy.

LikeLike

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:53:50 +0000

Medical breakthrough indeed! You need only to read the front covers of the gossip rags to find out the “latest” medical miracles glaring out at us.

Looks like even the conservative press requires a large grain of salt before we can believe what we see or read. Thank you for this excellent cautionary reminder.

LikeLike

By: B.M.W.

B.M.W. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:52:30 +0000

I too appreciate the helpful links you’ve given us.

We are so bombarded with information that it’s tough to filter out what’s true, what’s not true, or what’s just sensational enough to make for a good headline. Media Doctor and Health News Review are excellent not only for blowing the whistle, but for also educating consumers about what WE should be looking for in ALL advertising, not just drug company ads.

Thx for this.

LikeLike

By: Andie

Andie — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:41:42 +0000

This has really opened my eyes. We tend to stand around the water cooler at work and say: “Hey, did you see 60 Minutes last night?” as if whatever we see or read or hear in the media is gospel truth instead of potentially twisted, incomplete, industry-funded half-truth.

This is profoundly important for consumers to learn how to filter the media they’re exposed to. Thanks for the helpful and educational links to these media watchdog sites too.

LikeLike