Gary Schwitzer

Gary Schwitzer has been recognized and awarded many times for his work in health journalism in various media, including television news, interactive multimedia and the Internet. Professor Schwitzer worked in TV health/medical news in Milwaukee, Dallas and at CNN. He produced groundbreaking decision-making videos at Dartmouth Medical School in the 1990s. In 2000, he launched MayoClinic.com as editor-in-chief. Professor Schwitzer teaches courses in health journalism, ethics and electronic news reporting. He is currently the director of graduate studies for the M.A. in Health Journalism. He is also publisher of HealthNewsReview.org.

Education

B.A., Broadcasting/Journalism, Marquette University

Current Research Interests

• Health journalism
• Health care consumer decision-making
• Influence of Internet health sites on health care consumers

Courses Taught

JOUR 3451, Writing and Reporting for Electronic Media

JOUR 3771, Mass Media Ethics

JOUR 4990, The Emmys Class

Journalism 5155: Advanced Reporting Methods/health & medical journalism

JOUR 8191, Proseminar in Health Journalism I

JOUR 8192, Proseminar in Health Journalism II

JOUR 8195, Information Technology & Health

Professional Experience

Editor-in-Chief of MayoClinic.com Web site
Production Director, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making at Dartmouth Medical School
Producer/Medical Correspondent; Head of Medical News Unit for CNN (Cable News Network)
Assistant Director, Office of Communications, American Heart Association, National Center in Dallas.

Reporter, WFAA-TV, Dallas
Reporter, WTMJ AM-FM-TV, Milwaukee

Selected Publications

How Do US Journalists Cover Treatments, Tests, Products, and Procedures? An Evaluation of 500 Stories. PLoS Medicine 5(5): e95 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050095.  May 27, 2008. Click here to view online. 

Misplaced priorities in health news coverage.  The American Editor (American Society of Newspaper Editors). November, 2007, at:    http://tae.asne.org/Default.aspx?grm2id=176&tabid=65

“Journalists and Health Screening Tests: Unhealthy Advocacy,” published on the Poynter Institute website, May 14, 2007, at:  http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=123044

"HealthNewsReview.org: criteria for excellence in health and medical journalism," Virtual Mentor: American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, March 2007. Click here to view online.

Revealed: the stories that broadcasters did not want to cover. BMJ 2005;331:1089 (5 November). Click here to view online.

Book chapter: Why journalists struggle with the chronic illness story.
Book title: Metting the Challenge of Chronic Illness
The Johns Hopkins University Press. October 2005.
ISBN 0-8018-8209-5.

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of the Media in Disseminating Health Information? PLoS (Public Library of Science) Medicine. 2(7):e215. July 2005. Click here to view online.

Commercialism in TV health news. Poynter Institute Web site. July 25, 2005. Click here to view online.

TV medical reporters: Puppets and pros. Columbia Journalism Review Web site. June 28, 2005. Click here to view online.

Beyond cures, breakthroughs, and news releases: Ideas for covering health & medicine. Poynter Institute Web site. March 1, 2005. Click here to view online.

A statement of principles for health care journalists. American Journal of Bioethics. 4(4):W9. December 2004. Click here to view online.

Ten troublesome trends in television health news. British Medical Journal. 329: 1352. December 4, 2004. Click here to view online.

“Doc, I saw this on the news last night..”: A study on health care news reporting. Minnesota Physician. 2004 October; 18(7): 1, 10, 11, 38.

Time to put miracle on ice. Minnesota Medicine. 87(7):46. July 2004. Click here to view pdf of article.

Twin Cities TV health news: on the road to irrelevance? Minnesota Health Care News. 2004 July; 2(7): 12-13, 34.

"How the media left the evidence out in the cold." BMJ. Vol. 326:1403-4. June 21, 2003. Click here to view online.

"Merely lights and wires?" Minnesota Medicine. Vol. 86. No. 5, April 2003. Click here to view pdf of article.

"A Review of Features in Internet Consumer Health Decision-support Tools, 2002. Click here to view online.

"The Magical Medical Media Tour," Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 267, No. 14, April 8, 1992.

Extensive broadcast, video and interactive multimedia productions including:

Daily news stories produced for network and local television news

Documentary television program production

Interactive multimedia and videotape health care consumer decision support tools

Journalism awards

2007: Mirror Award, honoring those who "Hold a mirror to their own industry for the public's benefit," for HealthNewsReview.org Web site.

2006: Knight-Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism for HealthNewsReview.org Web site.

2006: e-Healthcare Leadership Award of Distinction for Best Community Benefit for HealthNewsReview.org Web site.

2006: Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, Association of Health Care Journalists (third place out of more than 100 entries in"Trade publications/Online journals/Newsletters" category) for his entry "Troubles with TV Health News."

2001: e-Healthcare Leadership Awards, Gold Award for MayoClinic.com as best overall site and as best health/healthcare content.

2001: Kanter Family Foundation award for Health Decision Guides on MayoClinic.com.

2000: World Wide Web Health Gold Award from the Health Information Resource Center for health promotion, disease and injury prevention information on MayoClinic.com consumer health Web site.

1993: American Medical Writers Association, New England chapter, award of excellence for "The Magical Medical Media Tour" article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

1989: National Association of Science Writers Science-in-Society Award and American Heart Association Howard W. Blakeslee Award for CNN documentary on issues in organ transplanation.

1988: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Media Excellence Award for CNN documentary on schizophrenia.

1977: American Heart Association Howard W. Blakeslee Award for cardiovascular research reports broadcast on WFAA-TV, Dallas.

1973: Wisconsin UPI award for best documentary for report on emergency medical services broadcast on WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee.

Professional organization membership

Association of Health Care Journalists (elected to Board of Directors in 2001 and re-elected in 2003)

Broadcast Education Association

Society of Professional Journalists