[e-drug] Video News Releases

[Alan Cassels <alan@alancassels.com>]

E-drug: Video News Releases
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I am putting together a research proposal to study the use of video news 
releases in the marketing of  pharmaceuticals.  Video news releases (VNRs) 
are promotional tools, usually created by public relations firms to embed 
key marketing messages in a quasi-news format. VNRs are provided free to 
networks and usually contain compelling footage that looks and sounds like 
the real thing.   They may include your standard white-lab-coated doctor 
explaining why this pill is such a breakthrough.  Stations are loath to 
admit it but a VNR might be aired with little editing.   It is promotion 
very cleverly disguised as news.

The reason I am interested in studying the use of VNRs is that from the 
dozens of focus groups I have organized over the last few years, consumers 
almost always say that the televised media (particularly news) is one of 
their key sources of drug information.   If that is true, what is the 
quality of that information?  Does it encourage people to make rational 
drug decisions?  To my knowledge this has never been systematically 
studied.

The key research question is the degree to which VNRs produced for the 
marketing of specific drug products are used on TV news programs in Canada, 
what kind of balance they present in terms of discussing drug alternatives, 
risks, benefits, and funding sources of the spokespeople.  If you have done 
any research on this issue in your country, or are familiar with any 
literature I should be reviewing, I'd certainly like to hear from you.   my 
email is:  alan@alancassels.com

cheers,

Alan Cassels
independent health policy researcher
Victoria BC, Canada
tel(250) 361-3120
fax (250) 381-3123
alan@alancassels.com

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