Writer’s Inappropriate Jab At Steve Jobs’ Alternative Medicine Use
February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011
The headline that attracted my attention on Yahoo News was “Did Alternative Medicine Kill Steve Jobs?
Well with that type of title you expect some sort of adverse reaction from an alternative treatment or a direct action resulting in Steve Jobs death. The article contains none of that. The article, seemingly aggregated from LiveScience.com which seems to have gotten it from their sister site MyHealthNewsDaily.com and written by a Rachael Rettner, repeatedly questions the use of alternative medicine and Jobs’ use of the approach.
After Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2003, he allegedly delayed surgery to remove the tumor — the recommended treatment — for nine months.
During that interim period, he attempted to treat his cancer with alternative medicine, including a special diet, according to news reports.
Could such a delay in treatment have worsened Jobs’ prognosis, and ultimately hastened his death?
The claim that Jobs decided to forgo mainstream medical treatment after his diagnosis remains unconfirmed.
The whole article is very odd in that by reading through it Rettner and the supporting direct quotes conclude that an integrated approach between so-called alternative treatments and conventional one’s are a good plan of action.What is irresponsible is the title.
Sure writers have to try to give articles an attention-getting headline to get immediate interest however there is a responsibility to the message you are delivering. This article not only doesn’t match its headline but does a disservice to the alternative healing communities and apparently Steve Jobs’ belief and benefit from them. It’s a mild insult at least.
If the title was meant to be sarcastic or rhetorical the first line should have been “The answer is no.” Even her own source cites that whatever Jobs was doing was right. Suprisingly, even the usually hard-line conservative commentators of Yahoo! called bullshit on Rettners title and dubious article content. Her article is completely speculative.
The claim that Jobs decided to forgo mainstream medical treatment after his diagnosis remains unconfirmed. And the experts we spoke with could not comment on his case directly.
Those experts could not comment on the case because it would be speculation. That’s not news. Now if it is a blog post, then fine however it’s presented as Yahoo! News and speculation in news is irresponsible, unethical and does more harm than good.
I will though Bart.
Additional:
http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/steve-jobs-alternative-medicine-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-2006/
http://www.livescience.com/16551-steve-jobs-alternative-medicine-pancreatic-cancer-treatment.html
http://news.yahoo.com/did-alternative-medicine-kill-steve-jobs-204204610.html
Jaylon Carter is a blogger, social media marketing consultant, former Congressional Campaign Media & Communications Director, national labor union vice block leader, and a Hip Hop artist who performs under the stage name Timid (@timidmc).
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