Sick media?

Mainstream media plays a vital role in informing the community about current issues and developments, including those in the field of medicine. Unfortunately, the complexities of the subject matter can sometimes lead to incomplete or inaccurate reporting.

This led a team of academics and clinicians from the Newcastle Institute of Public Health to create Media Doctor—a website dedicated to reviewing and rating medical articles that appear in the media.

The stated goal of Media Doctor is “to improve standards of journalism as they apply to specific media coverage of new medical drugs and treatments”. Articles are reviewed by two members of Media Doctor, and rated against a set of open criteria. It is hoped that by reading these reviews journalists will gain a better understanding of what to report when covering a medical story, helping the community to be better informed.

If you are approached by the media and require assistance, Mater Marketing Department has media professionals on hand to assist you.

Mater Media contacts:

Miranda Hunt, Public Affairs Manager +61 7 3163 1195

Leisa Tjoeng, Media and Communications Officer on +61 7 3163 2378