Herbal supplements in the print media: communicating benefits and risks

Background The rise in use of food supplements based on botanical ingredients (herbal supplements) is depicted as part of a trend empowering consumers to manage their day-to-day health needs, which presupposes access to clear and accurate information to make effective choices. Evidence regarding herbal supplement efficacy is extremely variable so recent regulations eliminating unsubstantiated claims about potential effects leave producers able to provide very little information about their products. Medical practitioners are rarely educated about herbal supplements and most users learn about them via word-of-mouth, allowing dangerous misconceptions to thrive, chief among them the assumption that natural products are inherently safe. Print media is prolific among the information channels still able to freely discuss herbal supplements. Method This study thematically analyses how 76 newspaper/magazine articles from the UK, Romania and Italy portray the potential risks and benefits of herbal supplements. Results Most articles referenced both risks and benefits and were factually accurate but often lacked context and impartiality. More telling was how the risks and benefits were framed in service of a chosen narrative, the paucity of authoritative information allowing journalists leeway to recontextualise herbal supplements in ways that serviced the goals and values of their specific publications and readerships. Conclusion Providing sufficient information to empower consumers should not be the responsibility of print media, instead an accessible source of objective information is required.</p

Who gains, who loses? Recall and recognition of brand placements in 2D, 3D and 4D movies

Brand placements in movies are common throughout the world. During the last 5 years, 3D movie technology has experienced a boost in cinemas and home entertainment. Furthermore advanced cinemas also offer “4”D experiences by adding scent, airflow or tactile stimuli to the 3D film. Based on the limited cognitive capacity model of information processing and the levels-of-processing effect theory, we investigate how the delivery modes of classic 2D compared to 3D or 4D (3D+scent) influence recall and recognition of brands placed in a prominent or in a subtle way. Results suggest that subtle brand placements are negatively affected by the enhancement of 3D or 4D as compared to 2D movies, whereas a prominent brand placement in the movie benefits from 3D technology. Some implications and directions for further research are addressed