Health and the Media

Catalog description

Covers public understanding of science and health and the ways it is shaped by the professional scientific and medical discourses are translated and disseminated via the popular press and entertainment media. Examines these translation and dissemination processes through analysis of the portrayal and representation of science, health, and illness in the media. Analyzes theories of media effects to understand the effects of coverage and portrayals of health and science in the news and entertainment media on individual and population health. Pays special attention to the issue of health disparities, in terms of understanding how the information environment contributes to disparities.