What Journalists Can Do To Help Diabetics
Helping Reporters Understand and Serve Diabetics in Rural Communities
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Pat Thomas discusses high blood pressure in rural areas.
Dr. Edwin Fisher, of the University of North Carolina, served as a panelist for the Rural Health Journalism Workshop session titled “Diabetes prevention and treatment in susceptible communities.” He talked about diabetes self management in rural communities and what reporters could do.
Fisher said because many people with diabetes resist doing much about it, the best diabetes care is community-based, with support groups and activities to encourage self-management. And, rural journalists should think of themselves as part of this community effort, perhaps with service journalism pieces in support of diabetics.
Journalists can also play an important role in helping prevent the disorder by providing coverage on Type 2 diabetes, the most common form. It’s vital for the population to understand that the major steps for avoiding (and treating) Type 2 diabetes are: eating right, losing weight and being more physically active.
Dr. David Gardner, an associate professor at the University of Missouri Department of Medicine, also participated in this session. To help journalists better cover the topic of diabetes, Gardner spoke in detail about the disorder and the specific challenges of diabetics who live in rural communities.
"It's important that we recognize this as a genetic disease made worse by our environment--too much food, not enough exercise," Gardner said.
He also noted that the quality of food was also a problem. He said the closing of supermarkets in rural areas can have a negative impact on the quality of diabetics’ diets as it becomes more difficult for them to find quality food. Gardner pointed out that diabetes is not just about blood sugar but also has other factors that may need treatment including blood pressure and cholesterol.
Gardner also said he thought too many stories about diabetes focus on obesity. “Don’t blame the patients in your stories,” he said. “And, at the very least, show the patients hope.”
Al Cross, workshop participant and director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, contributed to this article.