Dr. Oz, Alternative Medical Media Consumption & Anti-Vaccine Views in the U.S.

• In Event: That's Entertainment! Celebrities, Comedy, and Crime in Political Communication

Abstract

Media figures like Dr. Oz, whose programs provide a platform for alternative health and medical views, have become household names in the United States. Surprisingly, though, few have examined the prevalence and correlates of alternative health (AH) news consumption. Fewer still have investigated whether or not AH news consumption contributes to the prevalence of anti-vaccine misinformation in the US. In a large national probability-based longitudinal survey, we find that 63% of Americans – especially minorities, women, and Americans with low educational attainment – consume at least some amount of news that features AH content. Consistent with our expectations, we find that increased AH news consumption is associated with holding views about vaccines that are inconsistent with scientific consensus; including perceptions that the flu and MMR vaccines are more risky, and the perception that the MMR vaccine is not effective. We further demonstrate the persuasive power of AH news by making use of a naturally-occurring experiment, in which daytime television host Dr. Oz reversed his previously-held position on MMR vaccine safety. We show that regular Oz viewers who knew the least about vaccines became more likely to accept scientific consensus on vaccine safety. Our study demonstrates the persuasive power of AH news, and underscores the need for additional efforts to understand the effects of media consumption on public health opinion, and the potentially persuasive effects that daytime television and other alternative news sources might have on society in other domains, from health to politics.

Authors

• Dominik Andrzej Stecula, Colorado State University

• Matthew P. Motta, Oklahoma State University

• Ozan Kuru, University of Pennsylvania