Earlier this month, international news agency Reuters announced new guidelines for how its reporters should behave on social networks. This sparked a great conversation about how the media, and for our value, health media, is changing its game in the digital era. This week’s edition of HDCU takes a look at a few traditional media mainstays in the health space and how they have jumped into online engagement or conversation.
Ed Silverman
Ed Silverman is the editor and author of one of the most well-known industry blogs, Pharmalot. However, Ed didn’t start as an organic blogger; his foray into the space began with the support of his employer, the Newark Star-Ledger, where he enjoyed a 13-year career as an industry journalist. When the economic stress on the print world was being felt around the Star-Ledger offices, Ed decided to take a buyout in January 2009, move to industry pub The Pink Sheet and suspend publishing of his blog. It didn’t last long: Ed reopened shop in late 2009 and still remains one of the most important voices in the online Pharma conversation.
Mike Huckman
Mike Huckman has been with CNBC for nearly ten years, and is heralded as being one of the network’s premiere business journalists. His beat became the pharmaceutical industry, and over time, he begin publishing his stories on CNBC’s site in a blog called Pharma’s Market. When it comes to breaking news related to the industry, though, your best source may be Huckman’s active Twitter account. He provides financial news vital to the industry, often as soon as it’s announced, and is a must follow for anyone tracking health news.
Health Blog
If you search for “health blog” on any type of engine, you may be surprised by the host for one of the most influential health sources online: the Wall Street Journal. First maintained by Jacob Goldstein, then with WSJ’s health editorial staff, Health Blog has become one of the central hubs of the online health conversation. It definitely looks more like a blog than traditional, top-down media, as well. Most posts have incredibly active comment sections, and each one often gets shared widely across social networks like Twitter or Facebook.
Bruce Jaspen
Every Thursday, Bruce Jaspen publishes a valuable “Health Care Notebook” for the Chicago Tribune. This past week was the perfect example to show, though, that news often is coming in much more frequently than this weekly schedule. To make sure he is providing full coverage, you will usually find Jaspen sharing links and quotes as news related to the health world is happening on his Twitter feed.
White Coat Notes
Another great example of a health blog by a major publication is the Boston Globe’s White Coat Notes. The blog has a specific focus on the Boston medical community, but that’s a fairly important one if you think about it. With a basis of bio-tech industry and some of the most renowned hospitals in the country, it’s nice to have a source dedicated to collecting that news from the many resources in the region. WCN is never afraid to link out to other local bloggers, especially high profile ones like Running a Hospital, written by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CEO Paul F. Levy.
