I just finished listening to a great presentation by Dr. David Goodman about this topic. If you are interested in this topic I would highly recommend you access this presentation sponsored by the National Resource Centre on AD/HD at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7lYicr3s5A.
In his opening Dr. Goodman reviews the actual accuracy of newspaper articles on ADHD research.
He goes on to explain how journalists construct articles with victims, villains and heroes in order to catch a reader’s interest. He suggests that readers try and identify these roles in the storey and also question whether the author is trying to express extreme attitudes to sensationalize the story to increase interest. He points out that many journalists, especially national journalists, have agendas, or have been given agendas by their publishers, so ask yourself “What is the agenda of this article?” as you are reading it. He closes by stating, “The credibility of the information is dependent on the intent of the provider.”
Two parts of the presentation confirmed my fears that these type of articles increase fear and shame in parents and impact patient diagnoses and treatment. Furthermore, he indicated that the public is easily seduced by articles that sound scientific, but are actually lacking in up-to-date or comprehensive research on a topic, and may sensationalize new unproven research in order to interest more readers.
In the presentation and Q&A period Dr. Goodman offers concrete suggestions on:
The ADHD diagnosis of a child is often a pivotal m... Read More
My name is Veronica, and I was a working mom to a... Read More
Life inside an ADHD brain can be…unpleasant at tim... Read More
Growing up, my late father told me that I was “bor... Read More
Many of us ADHDers have heard about the analogy th... Read More
