Dementia in the News - Alzheimer Society Manitoba

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Making sense of dementia media coverage

News stories about dementia help raise awareness about the disease, research results and the issues we must address to create a more inclusive and supportive community. Making sure a news source is credible is an important step when looking at media coverage.

We are often flooded with daily health and wellness reporting on social media, television and print, including news about dementia. Sometimes, it’s hard to sort out the true findings and claims from the false. Here are some tips to guide you:

Identifying credible sources

Look to trustworthy organizations for publications, such as universities, research centres, hospitals or public health agencies
Find credible news organizations that follow ethical journalism standards and are transparent about news reporting versus opinion
Evaluate the report’s author: do they have legitimate credentials and expertise?
Watch for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, indicating there is little or no editorial oversight
Be cautious if the author or publisher is promoting a product or service in the report and look for supporting evidence of their claims
Look at dates the content was published: it’s likely outdated and inaccurate if it’s more than ten years old

Evaluating research reporting

Studies conducted only on animals are helpful, but the results might not apply to humans
The larger the study, the more reliable the results
Be cautious of headlines that contain the words “cure,” “cause,” or “proof” when referring to one study
Study methods matter: randomized controlled clinic trials are the most useful regarding lifestyle change or treatment effectiveness
Look for studies that build on the evidence of others and have been repeated several times
Credible studies are published in reputable peer-reviewed journals
When in doubt, consult your doctor, pharmacist, librarian or health organizations about the report for their advice