Journalism is often described as the ‘voice of the voiceless’. Journalism is the investigation and broadcasting of issues, trends and events to a wide range of audience for many different purposes. To a large extent today people around depend on the press for being well informed on the events and incidents happening around the world. The press plays a vital role in a democratic society. They have the power to expose and blow things out of proportion or bow them mutely under the carpet. They are the strong bridge between the related authorities and the public, handling all of the relevant issues. Precision, Stability and Reliability are the values of Journalism.
Medical journalism is the broadcasting of health-related information via media channels. The availability of health information in today’s society has progressively increased every year leading to a variety of effect in the behaviours of receivers.Medical journalists also face challenges due to potential conflicts of interest. They widely publish the reports that trickles down and influences the government, physicians and in general, the public. Medical Journalist not only circulate commercial news but also convey evidence based news and reports holding a lot of credibility and accuracy.
Medical Journalists deliver information by making complex science comprehensible by acting as a bridge between the scientists and consumers to a broad audience of readers, viewers and listeners.There is an ongoing demand for good journalists who can understand scientific stories and convey them in an interesting and credible way.
Career in Medical Journalism
So, what skills do you need, and how easy it is having a career or being a Medical Journalist? Good general knowledge, inquisitiveness and the capability to pick up new concepts and thoughts quickly are equally important while having an in-depth expertise, especially when broadcasting to an inexpert audience.A medical journalist not only settles down with facts but also gives a story. The scientific and medical press, magazines, newspapers, radio and television, online news services and medical/scientific websites – all need writers, reporters and editors.
The opportunities in the career of medical journalism is quite fierce as people from both the media and medical background aspire to have a career in it. It’s more of a public or a social occupation. There are some medical journalism institutions that provide guidance to medical researchers to be a qualified journalist. The James Lind Institute offers one such excellent professional online mode course. The Professional Diploma in Medical Journalism offers a platform for aspiring students to sharpen their reporting or journalism skills in the field of medical. The course gives all the required aptitude and knowledge to be a successful Medical Journalist. It gives them the understanding and method for voicing and broadcasting the events around to the general public in a professional and ethical way. Once the student enrols into this program she/he is expected to complete the course within 4-6 months however the course is self-paced with the maximum duration of 18 months