Understanding ethics of reporting health related events in media: A qualitative phenomenological study in Karachi and Peshawar

  • Shiraz Shaikh APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
  • Aroosa Nadeem APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
  • Mehjabeen Musharraf APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University
  • Sheraz Fazid Institute of Public Health & Social Sciences, Khyber Medical University
Keywords: media, ethics, healthcare emergencies, Media, Health reporting, Ethics, coverage of health events, Media reporting ethics

Abstract

Objective: The specific objectives of this study were to identify the ethical issues in reporting of health-related events in media and suggest ways to improve it.

Method: This was a qualitative phenomenological study conducted by APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University in collaboration with Institute of Public Health, Khyber Medical University from January to April 2022. A total of 38 focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted either face to face at place of convenience of interviewees or online. The participants were health reporters, healthcare workers (HCWs), and representatives of law enforcement agencies in two cities i.e., Karachi and Peshawar. Data were analyzed by using the deductive and inductive approaches, by four independent experts including the Principal Investigator (PI) and three research fellows.

Results: Ethical issues related to health reporting in the field included interference of the reporters in rescue efforts during an emergency and interference in emergency medical care of the victims. In reporting, careless disregard for patient confidentiality and privacy; using unreliable sources of information; using wrong terminology; sensationalizing the news and jumping to conclusions in cases of malpractice were reported as main problems. Negative influences on health reporting included poor training of the reporters on health reporting ethics, organizational pressures, and lack of cooperation by relevant health authorities.

Conclusion: The quality of health reporting can be improved by building the capacity of health reporters in understanding the ethical issues and their social responsibilities toward health.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7414

How to cite this: Shaikh S, Nadeem A, Musharraf M, Fazid S. Understanding ethics of reporting health related events in media: A qualitative phenomenological study in Karachi and Peshawar. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):376-381. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7414

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Author Biographies

Shiraz Shaikh, APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University

Dr. Shiraz Shaikh, F.C.P.S., Ph.D. scholar

Aroosa Nadeem, APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University

Dr. Aroosa Nadeem

Mehjabeen Musharraf, APPNA Institute of Public Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University

Ms. Mehjabeen Musharraf, M.Sc., MSPH

Sheraz Fazid, Institute of Public Health & Social Sciences, Khyber Medical University

Dr. Sheraz Fazid, MPH, Ph.D. Scholar

Published
2023-12-29
How to Cite
Shaikh, S., Nadeem, A., Musharraf, M., & Fazid, S. (2023). Understanding ethics of reporting health related events in media: A qualitative phenomenological study in Karachi and Peshawar. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 40(3). https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7414