ages students to publish their own research, promoting students with inexperience in publishing research to develop their style of writing. They also provide an opportunity for students to become accustomed to the submission and peerreview process. Moreover, exceptional editorial opportunities are offered for interested students to learn about medical journalism and to develop their critical ap...

One of the biggest hurdles facing the field of peace journalism (PJ) is its vague definition. This paper proposes defining PJ as it operates on a spectrum, from passive to active. Through a review of extant PJ literature, this paper synthesizes current theory into an overarching, explicit concept, and calls for it to be further adopted and expanded. To conclude it considers potential advantages...

This article offers a new perspective on the relationship between cocaine and medical practitioners in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain. Cocaine is often understood as one of a number of potentially addictive substances to which Victorian physicians and surgeons were regularly exposed, and tempted to indulge in. However, while cocaine has frequently been associated with disc...

Competing interests: Alan Cassels is the founder and project leader of Media Doctor Canada, which is funded through the Office of Consumer Affairs at Industry Canada. He is remunerated for coordinating reviewers and administering the project. M ANY PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT MEDICAL discoveries for the first time through popular media. Newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet play an increasin...

Sensationalism in medical reporting occurs when extravagant claims or interpretations about research findings are made. Sensationalism in medical reporting has been discussed extensively,1–9 and a few years ago one author predicted that “the tensions are likely to increase.”1 The conventional explanation for the problem is “miscommunication” resulting from the different styles of science and jo...

Computational Journalism: from Answering Questions to Questioning Answers and Raising Good Questions

Each year, in an attempt to stimulate journalism students' interest in medical writing, CMAJ sponsors the Amy Chouinard Memorial Essay Prize. The $750 award is in memory of Amy Chouinard, a longtime and valued contributor to CMAJ and the Canadian Journal of Surgery. Students from any recognized journalism program at a Canadian college or university are eligible to enter, and the deadline for 19...