I keep noticing that when a weight-loss drug story lands, the same phrases show up: 'game changer,' 'obesity epidemic,' 'unprecedented demand.' Last month I started screenshotting articles from four outlets to see how much was original reporting vs. recycled press release. Fourteen pieces in, nine quoted the same paid analyst, and only two linked to the actual trial data instead of a summary.
I'm not anti-medication — I take one and it's helped — but I'd like to know what I'm reading. How do you all decide whether a health headline is reporting or sponsored repackaging?
Do you have a source-check habit that doesn't turn into a part-time job?