{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T17:58:35Z","timestamp":1782842315118,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":101,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Infodemiology"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Politicization and misinformation or disinformation of unproven COVID-19 therapies have resulted in communication challenges in presenting science to the public, especially in times of heightened public trepidation and uncertainty.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aims to examine how scientific evidence and uncertainty were portrayed in US news on 3 unproven COVID-19 therapeutics, prior to the development of proven therapeutics and vaccines.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a media analysis of unproven COVID-19 therapeutics in early 2020. A total of 479 discussions of unproven COVID-19 therapeutics (hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, and convalescent plasma) in traditional and online US news reports from January 1, 2020, to July 30, 2020, were systematically analyzed for theme, scientific evidence, evidence details and limitations, safety, efficacy, and sources of authority.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The majority of discussions included scientific evidence (n=322, 67%) although only 24% (n=116) of them mentioned publications. \u201cGovernment\u201d was the most frequently named source of authority for safety and efficacy claims on remdesivir (n=43, 35%) while \u201cexpert\u201d claims were mostly mentioned for convalescent plasma (n=22, 38%). Most claims on hydroxychloroquine (n=236, 79%) were offered by a \u201cprominent person,\u201d of which 97% (n=230) were from former US President Trump. Despite the inclusion of scientific evidence, many claims of the safety and efficacy were made by nonexperts. Few news reports expressed scientific uncertainty in discussions of unproven COVID-19 therapeutics as limitations of evidence were infrequently included in the body of news reports (n=125, 26%) and rarely found in headlines (n=2, 2%) or lead paragraphs (n=9, 9%; P&lt;.001).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These results highlight that while scientific evidence is discussed relatively frequently in news reports, scientific uncertainty is infrequently reported and rarely found in prominent headlines and lead paragraphs.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/51328","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]],"date-time":"2024-08-29T11:21:11Z","timestamp":1724930471000},"page":"e51328","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Descriptions of Scientific Evidence and Uncertainty of Unproven COVID-19 Therapies in US News: Content Analysis Study"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9116-5940","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Watson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2359-4078","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tyler J","family":"Benning","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5018-423X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro R","family":"Marcon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6675-2155","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xuan","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5471-6184","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Timothy","family":"Caulfield","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5441-2084","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Richard R","family":"Sharp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3462-4546","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zubin","family":"Master","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08934215.2021.1907428"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.imr.2021.100731"},{"key":"ref3","unstructured":"How Americans get their newsAmerican Press Institute20142024-08-03https:\/\/americanpressinstitute.org\/how-americans-get-news\/"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/21071"},{"key":"ref5","author":"Ballew, M","year":"2020","journal-title":"American Public Responses to COVID-19"},{"key":"ref6","year":"2020","journal-title":"What Americans Think of the News? and What that Means for Democracy"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fsoc.2020.592666"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.37016\/mr-2020-012"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0008423920000396"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.37016\/mr-2020-48"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/03400352211041135"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-021-01056-1"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1370\/afm.2674"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17538068.2021.1953934"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291720001890"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/socsci10090349"},{"key":"ref17","unstructured":"The public's perspective on the United States public health systemRobert Wood Johnson Foundation20212024-08-06https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2021\/05\/RWJF-Harvard-Report_FINAL-051321.pdf"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1139\/facets-2021-0018"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-020-01650-6"},{"key":"ref20","unstructured":"Managing the COVID-19 infodemic: promoting healthy behaviours and mitigating the harm from misinformation and disinformationWorld Health Organization20202024-08-06https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/23-09-2020-managing-the-covid-19-infodemic-promoting-healthy-behaviours-and-mitigating-the-harm-from-misinformation-and-disinformation"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(20)30565-X"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2020.12535"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-2958.2008.00324.x","volume":"34","author":"Jensen, J","year":"2008","journal-title":"Hum Commun Res"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/09636625221122960"},{"key":"ref25","first-page":"25","author":"Akin, H","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fcomm.2019.00055"},{"key":"ref27","first-page":"105","author":"Schmid-Petri, H","year":"2020","journal-title":"Science Communication"},{"key":"ref28","first-page":"11","author":"Brossard, D","year":"2010","journal-title":"Communicating Science New Agendas in Communication"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4020-8598-7_7","author":"Trench, B","year":"2008","journal-title":"Communicating Science in Social Contexts: New Models, New Practices"},{"key":"ref30","first-page":"273","author":"Nisbet, M","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication"},{"key":"ref31","first-page":"50","author":"Sch\u00e4fer, MS","year":"2017","journal-title":"The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17512786.2012.691351"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17512786.2013.868146"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nbt0609-514"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tibtech.2004.03.014"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1075547003024004003"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0001266"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/scitranslmed.3010496"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000086756"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1503\/cmaj.1030762"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13698575.2012.716820"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM200006013422206"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5694\/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01391.x"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/2190-4715-25-25"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1075547009332649"},{"key":"ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0002828"},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0963662507081242"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1088\/0963-6625\/9\/2\/301","volume":"9","author":"Zehr, SC","year":"2016","journal-title":"Public Underst Sci"},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gloenvcha.2003.10.001"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/xap0000073"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2964791.2901462"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17512786.2020.1805794"},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/h0055756"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1086\/209393","volume":"21","author":"Haugtvedt, CP","year":"1994","journal-title":"J Consum Res"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/d41586-018-07034-4"},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/17187"},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/s41271-018-0131-2"},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/33827"},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10584609.2019.1668894"},{"key":"ref60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2104235118"},{"key":"ref61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797617714579"},{"key":"ref62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03637751.2018.1467564"},{"key":"ref63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s44159-021-00006-y"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref64","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"577","DOI":"10.1515\/for-2015-0040","volume":"13","author":"Marietta, M","year":"2015","journal-title":"The Forum"},{"key":"ref65","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"LeeSXiongASeoHLeeD\u201cFact-checking\u201d fact checkers: a data-driven approachHarvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review20232024-08-06https:\/\/doi.org\/10.37016\/mr-2020-126","DOI":"10.37016\/mr-2020-126"},{"key":"ref66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1478929918786852"},{"key":"ref67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08913811.2013.843872"},{"key":"ref68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.coph.2021.11.002"},{"key":"ref69","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08963560903372879"},{"key":"ref70","unstructured":"Top 100 USA news websitesFeedSpot2024-08-03https:\/\/blog.feedspot.com\/"},{"key":"ref71","unstructured":"Top 10 U.S. newspapers by circulationAgility PR Solutions2021-07-01https:\/\/www.agilitypr.com\/resources\/top-media-outlets\/top-10-daily-american-newspapers\/"},{"key":"ref72","unstructured":"Leading daily newspapers in the United States in September 2017 and January 2019, by circulationStatista2024-08-03https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/184682\/us-daily-newspapers-by-circulation\/"},{"key":"ref73","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2001191"},{"key":"ref74","unstructured":"Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): solidarity trial and hydroxychloroquineWHO20202024-08-03https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/questions-and-answers\/item\/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-hydroxychloroquine"},{"key":"ref75","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)00897-7"},{"key":"ref76","unstructured":"BeaubienJWHO halts hydroxychloroquine trial over safety concernsNPR20202024-08-03https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/coronavirus-live-updates\/2020\/05\/25\/861913688\/who-halts-hydroxychloroquine-trial-over-safety-concerns"},{"key":"ref77","unstructured":"NIH halts clinical trial of hydroxychloroquineNational Institutes of Health202006202024-08-02Bethesda, Maryland, U.SNational Institutes of Healthhttps:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/news-releases\/nih-halts-clinical-trial-hydroxychloroquine"},{"key":"ref78","unstructured":"No clinical benefit from use of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalised patients with COVID-19Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY (RECOVERY)202006052024-08-01Headington, Oxford OX3 7LF, United KingdomNuffield Department of Population Healthhttps:\/\/tinyurl.com\/2rm4d2jr"},{"key":"ref79","unstructured":"Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: FDA revokes emergency use authorization for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquineU.S. Food and Drug Administration20202024-08-06U.S. Food and Drug Administrationhttps:\/\/tinyurl.com\/26ckkvtj"},{"key":"ref80","unstructured":"Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: FDA coordinates national effort to develop blood-related therapies for COVID-19U.S. Food and Drug Administration20202024-08-06https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/4sypwp72"},{"key":"ref81","unstructured":"Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: FDA issues emergency use authorization for potential COVID-19 treatmentU.S. Food and Drug Administration20202024-08-06https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/5yp6bvts"},{"key":"ref82","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/160940690600500107"},{"key":"ref83","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41436-019-0482-5"},{"key":"ref84","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/gim.2017.217"},{"key":"ref85","unstructured":"EvanegaSLynasMAdamsJSmolenyakKCoronavirus misinformation: quantifying sources and themes in the COVID-19 'infodemic'2024-08-03http:\/\/allianceforscience.cornell.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Evanega-et-al-Coronavirus-misinformation-submitted_07_23_20-1.pdf"},{"key":"ref86","unstructured":"MillerBArizona man dies after ingesting fish tank cleaner to prevent coronavirus infection2020-03-23https:\/\/www.fox10phoenix.com\/news\/arizona-man-dies-after-ingesting-fish-tank-cleaner-to-prevent-coronavirus-infection"},{"key":"ref87","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1075547012458290"},{"key":"ref88","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamainternmed.2022.0200"},{"key":"ref89","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/her\/cys110"},{"key":"ref90","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10410236.2021.1914386"},{"key":"ref91","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"LagunDLalmasMUnderstanding user attention and engagement in online news reading2016Proceedings of the Ninth ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining2016 February 08New York, NY, United States","DOI":"10.1145\/2835776.2835833"},{"key":"ref92","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13669877.2020.1756383"},{"key":"ref93","author":"Kalaichandran, A","year":"2020","journal-title":"Uncertainty in a Time of Coronavirus"},{"key":"ref94","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/bf02687300"},{"key":"ref95","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0963662516645039"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref96","volume":"41","author":"Maier, M","year":"2016","journal-title":"Communications"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref97","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.17645\/mac.v8i2.2824","volume":"8","author":"Hendriks, F","year":"2020","journal-title":"Media Commun"},{"key":"ref98","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0963662520942122"},{"key":"ref99","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0093650214534967"},{"key":"ref100","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11673-021-10126-y"},{"key":"ref101","unstructured":"Forman-KatzNMatsaKNews platform fact sheetPew Research Center2024-08-02https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/news-platform-fact-sheet\/"}],"container-title":["JMIR Infodemiology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/infodemiology.jmir.org\/2024\/1\/e51328","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T17:35:04Z","timestamp":1782840904000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/infodemiology.jmir.org\/2024\/1\/e51328"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]]},"references-count":101,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2196\/51328","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.2196\/preprints.51328","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["2564-1891"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2564-1891","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,29]]}}}