Tacit Understandings of Health Literacy

Interview and Survey Research With Health Journalists

Bibliographic Data

ID6219263
AuthorsAmanda Hinnant (0000-0002-9180-6848, Missouri School of Journalism,, corresponding author), María E Len-Ríos (Missouri School of Journalism), María E Len‐río (0000-0003-1893-2079)
Year2009
Volume31
Issue1
Pages84-115
Publication date2009-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScience Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1075-5470 • E-ISSN: 1552-8545
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1075547009335345
OpenAlexW2149625661
LanguageEN
Citations received34
References cited33

This research offers both qualitative and quantitative data about how health journalists approach health literacy practically and conceptually. Using interviews with 20 writers and editors for magazines and newspapers coupled with a national survey ( N = 396), this analysis uncovers journalistic techniques and tacit theories for making information understandable. The journalists evince a basic understanding of how health literacy can be enhanced through certain story elements (such as nontechnical word use), but they also maintain false ideas about appropriate comprehension aides (such as statistics). Findings show that journalists struggle to maintain scientific credibility while accommodating different audience literacy levels. Journalists’ definitions of health literacy strategically carve out a place for their work as translators

Comprehension · Credibility · Health care · Health literacy · Information literacy · Knowledge management · Literacy · Media studies · Newspaper · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Tacit knowledge · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology

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