Raspberry Ketones: Using Online Trending Topics in Your Health Reporting
One of the most interesting parts of my job is to monitor "trending topics" on major Internet search engines to see what health-related terms people are searching for.
As you might expect, we apparently love information about weight loss, and any celebrity health condition is usually a chart-topper.
Why do I do this? Internet search terms offer a glimpse into our collective curiosity, and they can be a great source of ideas for your reporting – as well as a clue to what your next assignment from an editor might be. Read on for some tips on how to use them wisely.
First, here's an interesting overview of what WebMD's top search terms reveal:
Psychologists, social scientists, and even medical sleuths now mine Internet search trends for insights. Small wonder, day by day, hour by hour, the sudden popularity of particular search terms is a useful barometer of what moves, worries, or intrigues us.
At WebMD, the terms vary widely, but the categories remain remarkably similar. The latest weight loss plan is a perennial favorite, naturally. Outbreaks of illness send readers rushing to find information about symptoms and prevention. But there are always surprises. Once-rare diseases jump to the forefront when celebrities are affected. Social issues barely acknowledged in past years – like bullying, one of this year's leading searches – suddenly spark outrage and concern.
If millions of people are searching for information about a particular disease, health product or other topic, that can signal a story that's ahead of the curve. Google's Flu Trends is a great example of how consumer searches can identify emerging flu outbreaks. On the flip side, you can catch up to a topic you might have missed completely. (For me, that would be K2, one of WebMD's top 10 trending topics in 2011.)
I like to check out Google Trends, Twitter Trends and Yahoo Buzz, where I noticed the term "raspberry ketones." Huh? As it turns out, Oprah fave Dr. Mehmet Oz recently decided to describe them as a "miracle fat burner."
After I stopped laughing, I found a nice smack down of this "miracle" by dietician Mary Hartley, who wrote:
The research behind the claims that raspberry ketones help with weight loss is scant. There have been two small studies showing laboratory mice are less likely to gain weight when adding raspberry ketones to their diet. However, there have been no placebo-controlled studies of humans.
Here are some tips on mining trending content for your own heath reporting.
1. The trend is just a start. Trending topics are an interesting launch point for a story, not the story itself. Read Antidote blogger William Heisel's great post today on using press releases as a jumping-off point, not a crutch, for your reporting.
2. Garbage in, garbage out. There's a lot of inaccurate and downright dangerous health information on the Internet. That in itself is an ongoing story. Trending topics often highlight health fads like the HCG diet, which is popular but unproven and even dangerous. You can use these topics to set the record straight and give your audience more useful and evidence-based health information.
3. Get serious. Even silly or celebrity trending topics can offer a timely news peg for more substantial reporting, using diet fads (to take one example) to examine why Americans have such a hard time losing weight. You also can easily localize these stories by talking to local health experts in your own community.
4. Evidence rules. Interested in checking out the latest health fad, like raspberry ketones (also debunked by physician-blogger Yoni Freedhoff)? Aside from talking to your sources, don't forget to check out authoritative sources of information online. The PubMed, FDA and CDC sites, as well as ReportingonHealth's own online resource guides, offer authoritative sources on many health topics.
5. Caregivers matter. About half of internet users who search the web for health information say they're doing so for another person, according to a Pew Internet Center report. You'll want to include their perspectives as well as patients' in your coverage.
Have you used trending topics in your reporting? Share your experiences and stories in the comments below.
Related Posts:
Complete Health Reporting: News Releases Should Spark, Not Replace Good Questions
Photo credit: Liz West via Flickr