Insights

I've been selected to participate in the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowship sessions in Los Angeles. Here's my game plan.

A study last week by researchers at UCLA published in the journal Academic Pediatrics garnered surprisingly few headlines. What makes this study unique is that it is the first to examine and discover that obesity parallels a long list of other health conditions in children.

Veteran environmental reporter recommends starting by reporting the basic story first - focusing on what the problem appears to be, and how authorities and businesses are responding.

While the news about her return to work was celebratory for all, Robin Roberts talked about some of the expected and probably didn't realize she also disclosed unexpected information.

In health care, sometimes less is more. Stories that don't explore this option can contribute to higher health care costs and unintended consequences like surgical injuries, pain pill addictions and health care-associated infections.

When it comes to health issues, the southeastern corner of Virginia usually is pretty average. That’s why I was surprised to discover a report that showed a city in my readership area has the highest cancer mortality rate in the state.

Always keep this in mind: Pills, devices and surgeries are often not the best option for most people.

Make sure to check out the Dart Awards and Health Care Print Journalism Awards for your hard work of 2012 to be recognized.

How much did the tobacco industry give to state candidates, committees, and ballot measures during the 2012 election cycle?