Pros and Cons of TV

 

Pros and cons of television as source of health information Caroline Covell [email protected]

Is television a good source of health health information? How reliable is the health information information on the television? Mexican Americans are inclined to listen to the advice of their medical doctor  than that of the television. Felicity Carter quoted the word of Steve Waterston, Time South Pacific editor, who said, “People are becoming more aware of health issues… are taking more active interest in health and researching for themselves. The days of omnipotent doctors are disappearing.” Indeed, in Canada and Australia, people are becoming more conscious about their health. They Th ey are are rese resear archi ching ng for for info inform rmat atio ion n ab abou outt he heal alth th is issu sues es fr from om di diff ffer eren entt medi media, a, su such ch as ewspapers, magazines, online, and paying attention to what the television says about health. The US government 1993 statistics shows that approximately one-third of American adults reported that they obtain obtain health health informati information on from the televisio television, n, anothe anotherr third third obtain obtain health health informatio information n from the newspapers, and one-sixth obtain health information from their doctor. By 2000, online  becomes the next media of information where people use to obtain health information. George Gerbner says that television can create a myth by which we live. It perpetuates the message it is socializing and reinforces the information it is disseminating. As one of the common and important media of information, television also serves as a media of entertainment. At the same time, it serves as commercial media whose purpose is to advertising new products and services and encouraging the viewers to purchase them. Indeed, television is the most interactive media that strengthens the bond between the viewers with the content and the brand of products and services it is promoting. It acts as an

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important agent of socialization. It contributes to the shaping of the viewers’ minds, opinions, and perception. However, television alone does not contribute to how people change their minds, views, and perspectives about health issues but how the information is presented. Television can relay information in a manner that is very effective in changing the  behavior of the audience because pictorial message that is dramatized penetrates deeper in human’ hum an’ss mind. mind.

Its present presentati ation on may dramati dramatize ze our life but argues Chandle Chandler; r; it may offer  offer 

“contradictory images which can be interpreted in many ways.” Some people are “far more active interpreters” but others are “passive recipients” who tend to take the information or image and act as is. Childre Children n at early early school school year are very vulner vulnerabl ablee toward toward televisi television on and its  presentation. Concerning knowledge, there is a huge gap in the role of television as a media of  knowledge dissemination even though it can serve as powerful role models, either negative or   positive. Chandler says that many people “find these models and use them.” Teenagers are more prone to use television as their source of information, considering the number of hour they spend every day in front of television, and more attractive to the negative role models because they bring attraction. However, people that are more educated find that  printed material are more reliable than television does. Even among American adults who claim they rely on television in obtaining information about health issue, majority believe if it is from the news show, and only 15 percent feel confidence confidence that the information information is reliable reliable if it is from the talk show. Today’s television is more commercialized than simply as a media of information. As a commer com mercia cializ lizee media, media, its purpose purpose is to adverti advertise se product productss and servic services es and to encour encourage age  purchase, so is in the promotion of health information. In fact, health information is being

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classified as a product whose promotion is tied to drugs and its benefits rather than promoting health information. Doctor Mendelsohn, a medical heretic, warns that drugs today is created not to cure diseases but simply, as Kevin Trudeau puts it, to cause cau se you to thrive on diseases. Televi Tel evisio sion n can dramatize dramatize the informat information ion in such such a way to persua persuade de and cause cause the viewers to change their behavior, entertaining, and informing but can also as a product pusher. A special report on health media and marketing, published by  B & T Weekly, edition July 2006, says that television tries to disseminate information the way they advertise product, so is in the case of disseminating health information. For example, in the case of drug marketing strategy. In the early days, drug-marketing strategy said, “Go and see your doctor.” The message is projecting an image of empathy. Today, drug-m dru g-mark arketi eting ng strate strategy gy is encour encouragi aging ng resched rescheduli uling ng by saying saying,, “G “Go, o, see your your health healthcar caree  provider” and ask for the drug or more drug. When former Merck & Co. executive Len Tacconi joined the Discovery Health Media, the health care community becomes augmented between health information and drug promotion. The Media concentrates on special issues such as diseases, nutrition, fitness, parenting, sex, and several other topics. Unfortunately, the commercialization of television as a media of information on health issues has now become hybrid. Drugs and adults issues are being intermingled with children  program and children and drugs are being intermingled with adult programs. Like Kevin Trudeau, Tate Metro Media indicates that television information on health issue can be deceitful because television is being sponsored by corporations whose intention is to sell their products and make profits. profits. Television Television anchors are acting acting as the public public relations relations “spin

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doctors” who act as behind the scenes as “independents” and often use the terms “according to experts” who are actually individuals who are handsomely paid by the corporations to conduct research on behalf of their products for commercial co mmercial purposes. Health information on the television may not be the right information you have. Even some of the sexual information that is promoted on the television with the dramatization, for  example, though its purpose is to encourage more responsible sexual behavior, is often resulted   Penis Dementia, Dementia, for example, in which in negative sexual behavior. Take Vagina Monologue or  Penis the word of males and female genitals genitals are becoming common expression expression in movies, movies, dramas, or  in everyday social interaction. Therefore, is television a good source of information on health issue? In today’s free market, prove everything.

References April 3, 2006. TV and Video-Game Violence Harms Kids HealthDay News. Retrieved  November 12, 2007 from http://www.fradical.com/Media_is_public_health_issue.htm http://www.fradical.com/Media_is_public_health_issue.htm Beaudoin, Christopher E. & Thorson, Esther (2007, Jul/Aug). Evaluating the Effects of a Youth Health  Media Campaign. Journal of Health Communication Vol. 12 (5), 439454. Retrieved November 12, 2007 from EBSCO Business Source Premier   B&T Weekly, Vol. 56 Carter, Felicity (2006, 7/7). Media gets a clean bill of health.  B&T

(2571), 20. Retrieved November 12, 2007 from EBSCO Business Source Premier  

Chandler, Daniel. Television and Gender Roles. Retrieved November 12, 2007 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/TF33120/gendertv.html#U

Eriksson-Backa, Kristina. Media influencing health knowledge and behaviour. Retrieved

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 November 12, 2007 from http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/tsph/health/citizens/health_knowledge.html

Gerbner, George. Society's Storyteller: How TV Creates the Myths by which we Live. Live . Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved on November 12, 2007 from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article439.html

Mendelsohn, Robert S. M.D. (1979) Confession of a Medical Heretic. New York: Warner  Books Olson, Catherine Applefeld ( 2006, 10/9). Discovery Health Media:The Doctor Is In. CableFAX's CableWORLD , Vol. 18 (21), 14. Retrieved November 12, 2007 from EBSCO

Business Source Premier  Primary Information Sources for Health and Medical Topics. Retrieved November 12, 2007 from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind93/chap7/doc/7c4b93.htm Tate Metro Media (2001, February 17). How the Media Deceives You About Health. Retrieved November 12, 2007 from www.mercola.com/2001/feb/17/media_deception.htm University of Michigan Health System. What do I need to know about children and TV? http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/yourchild/tv.htm Trudeau, Kevin (2004). Natural (2004). Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. Eld Grove Village, IL: Alliance Publishing Group

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