Scare Tactics? The Media Response to Infectious Diseases

This panel features Laura Helmuth, science editor of Slate.com, Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Mark Crislip, and is moderated by ABC News producer Ann Reynolds. Two of the biggest medical news stories of 2014 were the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the measles outbreak in Disneyland. Both were covered extensively by the mainstream press in the United States, but did this coverage accurately reflect the broader social issues implicated by each incident? Was the breathless Ebola coverage an overreaction to a serious, but relatively low-risk danger? Was the measles coverage, and the seemingly-newfound critical eye turned toward anti-vaccination advocates, a welcome change in how the media covers such stories? This panel will explore the media response to both of these incidents, as well as discuss the broader issue of how journalists and scientists can most effectively communicate accurate information to the public and protect against future outbreaks.