Reading the News Through a Public Health Lens
Posted by Pulitzer Center on July 30, 2024
In this lesson, we will examine the connections between human health and a wide range of global issues, from environment and climate change to migration. Almost any story you encounter in the news can be read as a story about health if you apply a public health lens. We will practice applying this lens by exploring news stories while considering questions like: How do the events, decisions, or circumstances described in this story impact people’s health and wellbeing?
By answering this question, you are identifying social determinants of health, which the CDC defines as “conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of life-risks and outcomes.” The graphic below offers an examples of social determinants of health, visualized here as the roots of a tree. If these roots are strong, health outcomes are more likely to be positive. If the roots are weak, health outcomes will suffer.
By identifying social determinants of health in news stories, we can begin to brainstorm a public health approach to addressing the issues facing our communities and our world. A public health approach will focus on the roots of health outcomes for entire communities.
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