Description
The project addresses the critical intersection of public health, digital exclusion, and disinformation targeting one of society’s most vulnerable groups: Polish seniors. We will focus on the proliferation of “pseudo-medical” therapies (e.g., unauthorized supplements, “miracle” devices) that lead seniors to abandon conventional, evidence-based treatments for chronic diseases. The investigation will highlight the predatory marketing tactics and “health shows” that coerce the elderly into high-interest loans for ineffective medical products. By examining how fake news erodes trust in public health institutions and the scientific community, the project tackles the broader issue of social polarization and the safety of the national healthcare system.
“This grant is crucial to us, as it enables in-depth journalistic work on a critical and underreported social issue. As a newsroom, we see every day how deeply fake medical narratives can erode trust in science and push seniors toward decisions that harm both their health and financial security.
By combining rigorous journalism with scientific expertise, we want to clearly show not only how these manipulation mechanisms work, but also why they are so effective.
We hope this investigation will shift the conversation from isolated stories to a systemic understanding of the problem—one that cannot be ignored by policymakers, regulators, or the healthcare community. Our goal is to expose the scale of the phenomenon, give a voice to those affected, and provide audiences with tools to recognize and resist manipulation.
Ultimately, we want this project to have a tangible public health impact: strengthening trust in evidence-based medicine, improving media literacy among seniors and their families, and contributing to concrete regulatory and institutional changes that limit the reach of destructive practices.” — Paulina Wójtowicz, leader of Ringier Axel Springer journalism project
Project Team
Media outlet
Ringier Axel Springer Polska
Warsaw, Poland
https://ringieraxelspringer.pl/
Paulina Wójtowicz
Medonet Editor
Poland
Research organisation
Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Science, Jagiellonian University Medical College
Krakow, Poland
https://izp.wnz.cm.uj.edu.pl/pl/strona-glowna/
Anna Zimny-Zając
Adiunkt (adjunct / assistant profesor), PhD
Poland
