Health reporting is one of the 17 news fields listed in the Press Card Regulation for the titles of news manager, editor, sub-editor and chief.
The Basis in the Legislation
The text of the sub-paragraph: on condition of working in the fields of politics, home news, foreign news, current affairs, the economy, finance, celebrity news, education, sport, culture and the arts, tourism, the family, health, science and technology, the environment, exclusive news and new media news; the news manager or editor or sub-editor or chief.
| Type of publication | Sub-paragraph | The 17-field condition |
|---|---|---|
| Daily political newspapers | Art. 19/1-g | Yes |
| Weekly political newspapers and magazines | Art. 20/1-g | Yes |
| Non-political newspapers and magazines | Art. 21/1-g | No |
| Fortnightly and less frequent publications | Art. 22/1-e | Yes |
| News and photo agencies | Art. 24/1-d | Yes |
| Radio and television | Art. 26/1-g | Yes |
| Internet news sites | Art. 27/1-g | Yes — the coordinator is also added to the titles |
The Advertising Limit
The greatest legal risk in health reporting is that the news turns into an advertisement for a product or service.
Official Announcements and Advertisements Regulation Art. 6/4: news, pictures, video, writing and the like in the nature of an announcement or advertisement are stated to be an announcement or advertisement in a manner leaving no room for doubt.
The Duty of Accuracy
Incorrect information in health news may cause direct harm. Verification is decisive both for the press ethics principles and for legal liability.
Personal Health Data
Health data are personal data of a special category. We covered the framework for their use in news in copyright, data protection and access to information in news.
Access to Information
A freedom of information request may be used for health statistics and public health policies. We covered the detail in what journalists can request from public bodies.
Reply and Correction
The right of reply operates against an incorrect health news item. We covered the detail in the full guide to the right of reply and correction.
Its Relationship with the Reporter Title
The 17 fields are listed for the managerial titles. The title of reporter, by contrast, appears in every list in a separate sub-paragraph without a field condition (Art. 19/1-h and its equivalents). In practice the name of the field defines the reporter’s specialisation.
We covered the detail in who is a reporter: duties, rights and the press card and in the news manager: duties and the press card title.