As a National Health Journalism fellow, I will be examining the obstacles to healthy eating for low-income black families in Boston. Specifically, I will focus on the obstacles of food pricing, food access, and the “business of unhealthiness,” the web of market incentives that drive individuals towards unhealthy food choices. In addition, I will also examine the creative solutions local activists devise to overcome these barriers to a nutritious diet.
With the help of a National Health Journalism fellowship, I will be working on a series of stories that focus on food and immigrants in rural Minnesota. In particular, the stories will examine the social, economic, cultural and psychological factors influencing food consumption practices among Minnesota’s newest rural immigrant communities.
Journalist Kate Long's home state faces staggering health problems, prompting her project to explore West Virginia’s rising tide of chronic disease and obesity and the considerable efforts by its residents to reverse it.
How one journalist tackled a project on childhood obesity:
"I learned a ton, but I can’t say I’d wish this experience on my worst enemy. Did I mention it’s a broad topic?"
Should institutional PR departments be held to the same degree of accountability as reporters when crafting their press releases?
Health reporters and correspondents are in high demand this week, particularly on the East Coast. This edition of Health Media Jobs and Opportunities features an array of opportunities for health journalists at print, online and newswire organizations. And as always, we've included most updated information on upcoming grants, fellowships and educational opportunities.
Journalist Maureen O'Hagan examines the complex challenges facing parents trying to help their children — and perhaps themselves — lose weight.
Nathan's just 14, but he's no slouch. He's articulate, creative, has a good group of friends and seems to take time to think about what he's doing. He's also been overweight for most of his life. To him, it feels like a curse.
For a decade, Washington has been fighting for your life. Yet you might not even know this because it's been a quiet battle, a fight designed to work its way into the fabric of your life. It's about your weight — or, more important, the weight of your children.
The issue of homeless people drinking themselves to death on a sidewalk is one that unites and divides communities in unpredictable ways. Could a "wet house" be the answer in your city?
