Journalists and educators from at least ten countries, including
a high-flying delegation from the USA, will take part in the
first-ever European conference on Health Journalism, to be hosted
by Coventry University.
US journalist Trudy Lieberman, who will also be visiting
Coventry University in June as a Fulbright Senior Scholar, is just
one of the guest speakers who will share her expertise on health
care journalism at the conference.
John Lister, senior lecturer in health journalism at Coventry
University, has organised the event. He said: "Conferences like
this happen every year in the USA, but have never been attempted
before in Europe. We are very excited about this conference and we
have been able to attract a top line up of speakers from Europe and
the US.
"The event promises to offer a rich resource for journalists in
terms of information, guidance and potential stories.
"The health care business is the biggest industry in the world
with revenues of around $5 billion per annum. Yet what we are
seeing is journalists without proper training in the subject
reporting on political hot potatoes - such as NHS reform or new
medical research - from a diet of press releases from the
Department of Health or major pharmaceutical companies."
US-based Lieberman has over 40 years' experience in health
journalism, writing about health care and income security issues,
and is a contributing editor and blogger at the Columbia Journalism
Review. She is a specialist in the current Obama health reforms, on
which she is writing a book.
During her two week visit to Coventry she will also be meeting
local NHS health professionals and MA students.
The European Conference on Health Journalism is taking place
from June 23-24. It is being organised by Coventry University with
support from the Association of Health Care Journalists (US) and
the UK Medical Journalists' Association.
For more information about the conference, with links to online
registration, a speakers list with biographies and an outline
timetable, visit www.europeanhealthjournalism.com or contact John
Lister on 0777 426 4112.
For more information about Coventry University, please visit
their website here:
www.coventry.ac.uk