Scene of the Crime: The Study and Practice of Local Television Crime Coverage from the mid-1990s to the Present

This study examines the quantity and quality of crime coverage on television and its perceived impact on public policy. It discusses various stations’ attempts to address the concern that there is “too much crime on local TV newscasts.” The paper explores three techniques that can make such coverage more relevant to viewers: adoption of crime coverage guidelines, use of interactive crime Web sites and, most notably, the coverage of crime from a public health perspective

Walking in Step to the Future: Views of Journalism Education by Practitioners and Educators

This study, based on an Internet survey of 317 educational administrators, television news executives, newspaper editors and online executives during first quarter 2004, contrasts views about preparation of students for current and future jobs by showing gaps between what employers’ value most in job applicants and what educational programs are providing. Second, it addresses newsroom challenges that are shaping the industry and journalism education

Taffy Brodesser-Akner: Willie Morris Writers Series

Second annual Willie Morris Writer Series Event Taffy Brodesser-Akner\u27s first major journalism job was at Soap Opera Weekly, a job she held until her role was eliminated due to layoffs in June 2001. She also wrote for Mediabistro and did freelance pieces for magazines including ESPN The Magazine, GQ, and Texas Monthly. The Columbia Journalism Review called her one of the nation\u27s most successful freelance writers . Her freelance articles often focused on celebrity profiles, several of which went viral. In 2014, she became a contributing writer to both The New York Times and GQ. In 2017, she became a full-time staff writer for The New York Times. Her first novel, Fleishman Is in Trouble was published in June 2019. Introductions by Dr. Debra Wegner, University of Mississippi, and Wright Thompson of ESPN, last year\u27s Willie Morris Writer

Provider Recommendations in the Face of Scientific Uncertainty: An Analysis of Audio-Recorded Discussions about Vitamin D

BackgroundLittle is known about how providers communicate recommendations when scientific uncertainty exists.ObjectivesTo compare provider recommendations to those in the scientific literature, with a focus on whether uncertainty was communicated.DesignQualitative (inductive systematic content analysis) and quantitative analysis of previously collected audio-recorded provider-patient office visits.ParticipantsSixty-one providers and a socio-economically diverse convenience sample of 603 of their patients from outpatient community- and academic-based primary care, integrative medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine provider offices in Southern California.Main measuresComparison of provider information-giving about vitamin D to professional guidelines and scientific information for which conflicting recommendations or insufficient scientific evidence exists; certainty with which information was conveyed.ResultsNinety-two (15.3 %) of 603 visit discussions touched upon issues related to vitamin D testing, management and benefits. Vitamin D deficiency screening was discussed with 23 (25 %) patients, the definition of vitamin D deficiency with 21 (22.8 %), the optimal range for vitamin D levels with 26 (28.3 %), vitamin D supplementation dosing with 50 (54.3 %), and benefits of supplementation with 46 (50 %). For each of the professional guidelines/scientific information examined, providers conveyed information that deviated from professional guidelines and the existing scientific evidence. Of 166 statements made about vitamin D in this study, providers conveyed 160 (96.4 %) with certainty, without mention of any equivocal or contradictory evidence in the scientific literature. No uncertainty was mentioned when vitamin D dosing was discussed, even when recommended dosing was higher than guideline recommendations.Conclusions and relevanceProviders convey the vast majority of information and recommendations about vitamin D with certainty, even though the scientific literature contains inconsistent recommendations and declarations of inadequate evidence. Not communicating uncertainty blurs the contrast between evidence-based recommendations and those without evidence. Providers should explore best practices for involving patients in decision-making by acknowledging the uncertainty behind their recommendations