Handbook of Research on Representing Health and Medicine in Modern Media

Book excerpt: Traditional and social media are used extensively in terms of public health today. Studies show that social media works much better than other follow-up systems, leading it to become a modern and somewhat new tool for disease coverage and information discovery. The current state of the representation of health and medicine in the media is an important factor to analyze in the field of health communication, especially amidst the onset of a global pandemic. The ways in which the media discusses health, the campaigns that are used, and the ethics around this role of media and journalism are defining factors in the spread of information regarding health. The Handbook of Research on Representing Health and Medicine in Modern Media is a crucial reference that discusses health communication within two contexts: in terms of the media and journalists presenting critical health information and in terms of media literacy and information retrieval methods of media consumers through modern digital channels. The main purpose of these chapters is the development of critical thinking about health presentations and health communication issues in the media by presenting a discussion of the issues that will contribute to this vital view of health, medicine, and diseases in the media. The primary topics highlighted in this book are infectious diseases in the media, campaigning, media ethics, digital platforms such as television and social media in health communication, and the media’s impact on individuals and society. This book is ideal for journalists, reporters, researchers, practitioners, public health officials, social media analysts, researchers, academicians, and students looking for information on how health and medicine are presented in the media, the channels used for information delivery, and the impact of the media on health and medicine.