Behind the Headlines provides an unbiased and evidence-based analysis of health stories that make the news. The production process is described below:
Research newspapers
Each day the NHS Choices team selects health stories that are making headlines.
The focus is on English newspapers and media outlets; however, this can include international media when appropriate.
Select appropriate story
Two stories are selected for analysis each day, with the option of more if the situation demands it. The stories are selected based on the level of news coverage they receive and the availability of the source material behind it. Editorial discretion is used to select stories that are judged to be of public interest, such as health alerts. News stories tend to fall into one of the following categories:
- Health alerts e.g. alleviate worry or increase awareness
- Explanation of a scientific advance e.g. lab research, genetic studies, new drug, new procedure
- Promotion of lifestyle change e.g. diet and lifestyle research
- Changes to evidence or official guidelines e.g. new NICE guideline, Department of Health guideline, MHRA alerts
Research scientific paper
A search is carried out for the scientific paper or background source material that relates to the newspaper story. Occasionally, Behind the Headlines covers newspaper stories that are not based on a published journal paper, and the analyses are based on conference proceedings, press releases or other material. For Q&A stories, the questions which formulate the basis of the article are drafted according to how the story has been portrayed in the media, the original source material and background information.
Bazian - writing and clinical sign off
Newspaper clippings along with the scientific articles are sent to Bazian, a leading provider of evidence-based healthcare information.
Bazian's clinicians and scientists analyse the research and produce an impartial, evidence-based appraisal or the response to the posed questions.
The article is then clinically signed off and returned to NHS Choices.
Editing
NHS Choices edit the article for readability, house style, and an assessment of whether the analysis addresses how the story has been portrayed in the media and given sufficient response,
- Libel check – should the article be considered to require a libel check, then it is sent to the NHS Choices internal lawyers.
The article is then returned to Bazian for a final clinical sign off.
Final editorial checks and publishing
Final editorial checks take place and the article is published on the site. This process is detailed in Phase 4 of the Editorial content processes (PDF, 980kb).
Behind the Headlines content has a date of publication and is not subject to review.
