Track 3.1:

The language of health journalism: reaching underserved audiences

Studies reveal people prefer consuming news in their vernacular language, but in countries like South Africa and the USA, health stories are largely reported on in English, resulting in inequitable access to credible health information. In the USA, the 50 million+ Latinx community is the largest minority, but access to quality health reporting in Spanish is lacking, due to the downsizing of Spanish news media. These underserved and underrepresented populations also have a greater burden of illnesses and disproportionate susceptibility to infectious diseases, due to structural and social inequality, making it crucial for news media to reach these audiences in languages other than English. This session will explore the need for health journalism to fill the vernacular vacuums, and examine which publications are getting it right.

• Day: March 29
• Time: from 10:00am to 11:15am
• Room: Salon Restrepo Salon 2

Moderator: Nicolas Gutierrez
Speakers:Bibi-Aisha Wadvalla, Syed Nazakat, Syriacus Buguzi, Sashenka Hernández Estrada