Curbing Health Misinformation With Scientific Journals: A Study Of Nigeria’s Punch And Tribune Online Newspapers

JIMME MATYEK; Dongvel Dorothy Maimoko; Thomas Ochai

doi:10.22515/ajdc.v4i2.7609

Authors

Matyek, Jimme Garba University of Jos, Nigeria
Maimoko, D. Dongvel University of Jos, Nigeria
Ochai, Odoh Thomas Independent Researcher, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4719-3174

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22515/ajdc.v4i2.7609

Keywords:

Editorial Strategies, Health News, Misinformation, Online Newspaper, Scientific Journals

Abstract

This descriptive research explores the patterns of health news in Punch and Tribune online newspapers from 2018 to 2022, emphasizing the reliance on foreign research by both publications in a bid to curb health misinformation online. With a population of 765 and a sample size of 533, the study reveals Punch's consistent rise in yearly research journal-sourced health news, contrasting with Tribune's fluctuating trend. The Punch heavily favors foreign research (98.1%), while Tribune maintains a more balanced approach with 51.4% from Nigerian sources. The findings underscore disparities in editorial strategies, raising concerns about the visibility of local health research. The study recommends increased collaboration with local researchers and enhanced accessibility of local research, for a more comprehensive and contextually relevant portrayal of health topics to curb health misinformation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Africacheck. (2021). Monitoring health misinformation in nigeria: A collection of potentially harmful claims from may to july 2020 . Retrieved September 16, 2023, from https://africacheck.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2021-01/Africa%20Check%20Health%20Misinformation%20in%20Nigeria_Quarterly%20report%203_August%202020.pdf

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2012). Communication and dissemination strategies to facilitate the use of health-related evidence | effective health care program. Ahrq.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2023, from Ahrq.gov. https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/medical-evidence-communication/research-protocol

Barron, M. (2022). How to spot and combat health misinformation. American Society For Microbiology. Retrieved from https://asm.org/Articles/2022/September/How-to-Spot-and-Combat-Health-Misinformation

Caceres, M. M. F., Sosa, J. P., Lawrence, J. A., Sestacovschi, C., Tidd-Jonshon, A., Rasool, M. H. U., … Fernandez, J. P. (2022). The impact of misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic. AIMS Public Health, 9(2), 262–277. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2022018

Chen, H. (2022). Research on the development from print media to digital media --taking the american market as an example. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 663, 311–327.

Chowdhury, S., & Halder, S. (2016). Educational Dissemination through Newspaper Daily. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(7), 1–12.

Dawson, C. (2020). A-Z of digital research methods. Routledge.

Galvez, J. A., LIedo, V. S., & Garcia, A. R. (2021). Determinants of infodemics during disease outbreaks: A systematic review. EJIFCC. Retrieved from https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/medical-evidence-communication/research-protocol

Garz, M., & Rickardsson, J. (2022). Ownership and media slant: Evidence from Swedish newspapers. Kyklos, 76(1), 18–40.

Goundar, S. (2012). Research Methodology and Research Method: Methods Commonly Used By Researchers .

Greene, C. M., & Murphy, G. (2021). Quantifying the Effects of Fake News on Behavior: Evidence From a Study of COVID-19 Misinformation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 27(4).

He, L., Chen, Y., Xiong, X., Zoe, X., & Lai, K. (2021). Does Science Literacy Guarantee Resistance to Health Rumors? The Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy of Science Literacy in the Relationship between Science Literacy and Rumor Belief. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5).

Kelly, J., Sadeghieh, T., & Adeli, K. (2014). Peer Review in Scientific Publications: Benefits, Critiques, & A Survival Guide. EJIFCC, 25(3), 227–243.

Krishna, A., & Thompson, T. L. (2019). Misinformation About Health: A Review of Health Communication and Misinformation Scholarship. Sage Journals, 65(2).

Longe, B. (2020). Descriptive research designs: Types, examples & methods. Retrieved January 26, 2024, from Formplus website: https://www.formpl.us/blog/descriptive-research

McNutt, M. (2022). Misinformation: addressing the challenge. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, 815–821.

Nascimento, B. do, Junior, I., Pizzaro, Beatriz, A., M, J., Muscar, A., … Andre, M. (2022). Infodemics and health misinformation: A systematic review of reviews. . Retrieved September 16, 2023, from World Health Organization website: https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.21.287654

Nass, S. J., Levit, & Gostin, L. O. (2019). The Value, Importance, and Oversight of Health Research. National Academies Press (US).

Peng, W., Lim, S., & Meng, J. (2022). Persuasive strategies in online health misinformation: A systematic review. Information, Communication & Society, 26(11), 1–18.

Peters, H. P. (2013). Gap between science and media revisited: Scientists as public communicators. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110.

Schäfer, M. (2011). Science journalism and fact checking. Journal of Science Communication, 10(4).

Scherer, L. D., McPhetres, J., Pennycook, G., Kempe, A., Allen, L. A., Knoepke, C. E., … Matlock, D. D. (2021). Who is susceptible to online health misinformation? A test of four psychosocial hypotheses. 40(4), 1–11.

Society for Science. (2023). Biomedical and health sciences.

Suarez-Lledo, V., & Alvarez-Galvez, J. (2019). Prevalence of health misinformation in social media: A systematic reviewPrevalence of health misinformation in social media: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(1).

Swire-Thompson, B., & Lazer, D. (2020). Public health and online misinformation: Challenges and recommendations. Annual Review of Public Health, 41(1), 433–451.

World Health Organization. (2022). Infodemics and misinformation negatively affect people’s health behaviours.