Greater Accuracy, Balance in Health Care Reporting Called for by Califf

The presentation and accuracy of medical information through traditional and social media — and even the headlines that accompany it — directly impact the nation’s health, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told a gathering of reporters Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Addressing the National Press Club Headliners Luncheon, Califf acknowledged his passion and appreciation of the Fourth Estate while sharing his background as a beat reporter for the student newspaper at Duke University, where he graduated from the School of Medicine.

Generating online clicks through negative headlines is another frustration shared by Califf. “The relationship of a headline to the rest of the article has long been a source of consternation and attention. The headline is almost always couched in more vivid, negative terms than the body of the article,” he said, citing a 2023 analysis reporting negative words entice readers more than positive words.

Watch Commissioner Califf’s National Press Club remarks here.

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