Blog: Macmillan Cancer Support on the reported increase on bowel cancer in the under-50s
Health journalism plays an important role in raising awareness of symptoms and risk factors for illnesses and medical conditions, as well as highlighting the support and treatment available.
There are multiple examples of where media coverage of health issues, often linked to the personal story of a high-profile public figure, has helped prompt people to report symptoms or take up screening. There is also a risk that more sensationalist articles can negatively affect some people’s understanding of risk and their response to symptoms.
Headlines or short articles rarely offer balance
Headlines are usually designed to catch the reader’s attention (as in the use of the word ‘soaring’, which suggests a huge increase) so that they then read the rest of the article. However, some people may not read any further than the headline and therefore won’t be able to see if the article then puts things in context and gives balance.
It can also be difficult for short articles to give a full, clear and balanced picture about health risk – for example, given the complexity of statistics around cancer risk. This may mean some people develop an inflated sense of risk and become hypervigilant in looking for symptoms.
Others could become fearful and take a ‘head in the sand’ approach – ignoring any symptoms that should be investigated.
Good health journalism that takes a balanced and responsible approach to reporting statistics can help to mitigate these risks and ensure the benefits continue to outweigh the drawbacks. That’s also why Macmillan is here, to help support people with any questions they have about cancer.
How we communicate risk
When communicating risk at Macmillan, we aim to use a warm, empathetic, and authoritative tone so that people feel supported as well as informed. We explain risk in plain English, avoiding jargon that might make the information feel confusing. We try to be clear about why understanding risk matters, linking it to real-life experience.
For example, knowing the level of risk can help someone make informed decisions about their treatment or next steps. And we use inclusive language, providing the right information in the right format for everyone who is affected by cancer.
Our content developers describe the different types of risk and illustrate them with simple, relatable examples. Using numbers can make subjective ideas like ‘low risk’, ‘high risk’, ‘common’ or ‘uncommon’ feel more concrete. And visual tools such as infographics can often make complex information easier to grasp at a glance. You can see how we do this in our content on benefits, risks, and cancer statistics.
Ultimately, our goal is to help people understand risk in a way that supports their decision-making and helps them have good conversations about their care.
How the PIF TICK has helped our process
Macmillan is proud to be certified with the PIF TICK, and we base all our content on its principles for developing high-quality patient information. Ours is written by cancer nurses with extensive clinical experience. They understand the importance of clarity in information about risk and statistics.
Content about risk is always contextualised and, wherever possible, illustrated with examples and infographics to aid clarity.
All our information is evidence-based, quality assured in line with PIF TICK standards, and signed off by clinical or other experts. We involve users in reviewing our content to ensure that it meets their needs and feels relevant to their circumstances. Our information offer includes a range of formats, including Easy Read, audio, video and translations, making it accessible to as wide a range of people as possible.