The public relies heavily on media outlets to supply information on health and medicine. As purveyors of news that directly impacts people’s health decisions, journalists have an obligation to report stories that are balanced, accurate, and relevant.

One of the greatest challenges of health reporting is developing stories outside the established framework. Typically, journalists find stories by combing through press releases distributed by universities, public and private research institutions, public relation firms, and government agencies—organizations with their own sets of biases and agendas. When journalists rely too heavily on these sources, they become dependent on someone else to tell them what is newsworthy. There are more objective and creative ways to dig up stories.

Reporting outside of the box requires careful observation and questioning. Challenging the conventional wisdom is often the key to a killer scoop. For example, questioning some of the basic claims tossed around in the stem cell debate led Boston Globe reporter Gareth Cook to a 2005 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism. And probing the seemingly mundane concept of disease definition led Seattle Times reporter Susan Kelleher to create the award-winning series “Suddenly Sick.”

In a recent conference of journalists called Medicine in the Media, veteran health journalists shared strategies for conceiving fresh stories. The panel of speakers included Craig Stoltz, editorial director at Revolution Health, Susan Kelleher, investigative reporter from the Seattle Times, and Gideon Gil, health and science editor for the Boston Globe. The panelists led a brainstorming session for health stories, touching on topics as diverse as restless leg syndrome and FDA submission policies.