It would be great if public health communications classes taught explicitly how to write articles that tell stories from the SDOH perspective. 

Enrique Cardiel 
Urban Health Extension Coordinator 
505-925-7393 
It's time we made it possible for all Americans to afford to see a doctor, 
but it's also time we made it less likely that they need to!



-----Original Message-----
From: Social Determinants of Health on behalf of Dennis Raphael
Sent: Tue 1/4/2011 7:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [SDOH] Individualism run amok...
 
From a paper I am hoping to publish...

Hypothesis 1: Reporters Think Just Like Everyone Else in Society
A key tenet of the critical political economy approach is that our ideas 
are shaped by the society in which we are embedded: ?That is, we who 
produce ideas are all products of our upbringing in a particular kind of 
society at a particular time -- social structure or society comes first, 
then our own subjectivities, identities, or 'selves' " (Coburn, 2010, p. 
61). The growing emphasis of neo-liberal views on economic and political 
processes (Leys, 2001) as well as the importance of private individualized 
solutions to problems ? including health problems ? (Hofrichter, 2003) may 
be driving both the societal processes that shape overall health and 
create health inequalities but also the media?s approach to reporting on 
health and its determinants (Raphael et al., 2008). This embeddedness 
becomes even more important since reporters are employed by publishers who 
may have very clear preferences for one set of explanations of how health 
is determined over another (see below).

In Canada, reporters have not only been subjected to the same barrage of 
behavioural risk and healthy lifestyle choice messaging as have the rest 
of Canadians but they are also more exposed in their employment activities 
to the well-organized research industry which emphasizes biomedical and 
behavioural explanations for health.ii Why would we expect that reporters? 
understandings of the determinants of health ? currently focused on diet, 
exercise, and tobacco use ? would be any different from the general 
public? For every health researcher trying to communicate findings about 
the social determinants of health and the public policy antecedents of 
these determinants, there are very many more traditional health 
researchers providing the
media with their stories. 

On a a purely practical level, what would be the implications for 
reporters ? and their editors and publishers ? now beginning to point out 
that their few hundreds of stories about the vital importance of ingesting 
fruits and vegetables, taking exercise, and avoiding tobacco use as the 
primary determinants of health have been misguided at best and inaccurate 
at worst. Witness how the media maintains its saturated fat and heart 
disease fixation in spite of a decade of research disconfirming the link 
(Ravnskov, 2003; Taubes, 2001, 2002, 2008). Similar issues concerning 
media reporting of discredited associations arise on a whole series of 
fronts (Freeman, 2010).

Hypothesis 2: Reporters are Expected to Tow the Accepted Line
The mainstream media has become increasingly concentrated under the 
ownership of corporations whose political views can -- without much 
argument -- be classified as conservative supporters of free market, 
individualized approaches concerning societal issues. This is especially 
the case in Canada where newspapers, radio, and television are 
increasingly controlled by fewer and fewer corporations (Socialist 
Project, 2009).

There is clear evidence that such concentration comes to be associated 
with what has been called ?filters and blind spots in Canada?s press? 
(Hackett & Gruneau, 2000). One detailed analysis concluded that during the 
1990s there was a noticeable reduction in the number of new stories about 
poverty and social inequality. Related to this was a growing tendency to 
favour right- over left wing policy institute reports. The report 
concludes: ?The results of these trends, arguably, is a news media 
environment that is increasingly unable to capture both the everyday 
experience of poverty and the role that government and corporate policies 
may play in sustaining it? (Hackett & Gruneau, 2000, p. 201) . How would 
this be converted into lack of media
coverage of the social determinants of health?

As noted, most mainstream reporters now work for corporations whose 
ideological proclivities favour market over communal analysis of public 
policy issues. Evidence exists that the social determinants is an issue 
that lends itself to political persuasion (Gollust, Lantz, & Ubel, 2009). 
Gasher and colleagues acknowledge that social determinants approaches 
towards understanding health issues clash with such individualized 
interpretations but fail to link reporters? activities with their 
employment situations. Reporters are probably well aware of these 
corporate preferences ? either generally through detecting the changing 
winds in the newsroom or directly though their editors? responses to their 
work activities ? and like most other salaried workers would hesitate to 
put their futures on the line by consistently presenting a social 
determinants of health perspective in their stories.

Hypothesis 3: Emphasizing Biomedical and Behavioural Approaches to Health 
is Profitable
Mainstream print media in Canada have huge ?Food? and ?Living Sections? 
and radio and TV provide similar segments that generate significant reader 
interest and advertising dollars. These incentives certainly support news 
reporting that helps maintain the belief that individual healthy lifestyle 
choices will help readers live longer and healthier lives. It seems 
reasonable that reporting that downplays the social determinants of health 
is viewed favourably by newspaper executives, editors, and their 
advertisers. Healthy living may be the ?goose that continues to lay the 
golden egg? for the mainstream media. What would be the payoff for the 
mainstream media in emphasizing the social determinants of health and the 
public policy decisions that threaten
their quality?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada Weighs In: Program schedule
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 4, 2011
CBC News 
Feeling overweight, overworked, tired and stressed out? You're not alone, 
according to a new CBC poll titled Canada Weighs In: Are We Measuring Up?
When asked if they're overweight, 44 per cent of Canadians polled said 
yes, with seven per cent admitting to being obese. Canadians say obesity 
is the country's No. 1 health issue, rating higher than any other 
concern-including nutrition and the state of our health care system.
The poll gives context to CBC's national, six-month initiative, Live Right 
Now. As a wake-up call, CBC News provides the straight goods on Canadians' 
health perceptions versus reality, the importance of exercise, the 
epidemic of sleep deprivation, the impact of sugar on diet and health, and 
Canadians' increasing reliance on the internet for health information.
The week-long series with in-depth coverage of the poll results kicks off 
on Sunday, Jan. 2 on CBC-TV, CBC News Network, CBC Radio and CBCNews.ca. 
For more information check out the Canada Weighs In site where you can 
find in-depth features and streams of the top TV and radio stories from 
the series.
Here are some highlights to look for:
Sunday, Jan. 2: On The World This Weekend, CBC News Network and The 
National, reporter Ioanna Roumeliotis discovers that, compared to 30 years 
ago, average Canadians are now eating the equivalent of an additional meal 
every single day due to increasing portion sizes. We give one ordinary 
Canadian family a challenge: Write down everything ? and we mean 
everything ... they eat every day for a week to find out where that extra 
meal is coming from. The results are shocking.
Monday, Jan. 3: Tune in to The World at Six starting Monday for special 
coverage throughout the week with host Alison Smith on-location at various 
health hubs, talking to people about their health and how to live right.
On The National, Kelly Crowe meets a man who is striving to lose 70 pounds 
by his wedding in October. Lynne Robson uncovers the physical activity 
crisis in Canada: nearly half of Canadians are not meeting the recommended 
exercise guidelines. CBC News has learned that there will be new targets 
to get Canadians moving again ? but is it enough? And Reg Sherren extends 
a personal challenge to a group of Canadians to get active.
Tuesday, Jan, 4: World Report on CBC Radio One and The National look at 
the role sleep deprivation may play in the obesity epidemic.
On CBC Radio One's World Report, we are a sleep-deprived nation and CBC's 
Pauline Dakin looks at the barriers to getting a good sleep and the risks 
of not getting enough. Then, on The National, CBC's Kelly Crowe visits a 
sleep clinic and presents some unique solutions Canadians have discovered 
to help them get the rest they need.
Also on CBC Radio One programs throughout the afternoon, listeners can 
turn to CBC's In-House physician Dr. Brian Goldman as he weighs-in on the 
poll results. 
Wednesday, Jan. 5: Nearly half of Canadians turn to online to get their 
health info. On Radio One (World Report and World at Six) and The 
National, the CBC's Lynne Robson explores how web technology is changing 
the way we get our health care. We meet a "cyberchondriac," a doctor who 
conducts 10 per cent of his practice via Skype, profile a successful pilot 
study that shows for every $1 spent on telemedicine the health system 
saves $5, and tour a medical clinic where sick patients text for treatment 
tips.
CBC News Network's Colleen Jones tells her very personal story about a 
recent online quest she took to diagnose a life-threatening virus.
At www.cbcnews.ca, take part in a live chat at noon with Village on a 
Diet's Dr. Ali Zentner, who will answer your health questions.
Thursday, Jan. 6: World Report, on CBC Radio One, asks whether sugar is 
the new hidden poison in our diets.
CBC's Karen Pauls presents a regional breakdown of our eating behaviour, 
beginning with Winnipeg, the slurpee capital of Canada for 11 years 
straight. Pauls also does a grocery store label tour, seeking out the more 
hidden sugars in our food, their impact on our health/weight and how we 
can make better choices.
On The National, Leslie MacKinnon speaks with John Abbot, CEO of the 
Canada Health Council, about how well the messages about improving diet 
and health are reaching different Canadian demographic groups.
Village on a Diet's Dr. Ali Zentner goes grocery shopping with CBC News 
Network hosts Heather Hiscox and Suhana Meharchand to evaluate their food 
choices.
On CBCNews.ca, take an interactive "Sugar Quiz" to help Canadians 
determine how much sugar is in various common food items.
Friday, Jan. 7: On News Network, Colleen Jones looks at stress and how to 
change our behaviour. Marketplace looks at the business of professional 
gyms.


Read more: 
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2011/01/04/f-canada-weighs-in-program-schedule.html#socialcomments-submit#ixzz1A4iVrV9e

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