Covering wellness ... well | HJ26

Off-label prescription hormones to boost energy and health. Red-light therapy that makes men's hair grow and women’s skin glow. Green juices, cold plunges, and NAD+ infusions to reverse your biological age. These are just a few of the many health trends increasingly circulating online — and attracting a wide range of audiences, including MAHA enthusiasts, 20-somethings on TikTok, and people with chronic illnesses seeking relief. Journalists who cover or want to cover wellness — a growing segment of many publications — must cut through the hype to help readers find therapies backed by evidence, while exercising caution around those that may cause harm. This panel will reveal how editors choose which claims are worth covering, how experienced journalists evaluate their accuracy and identify reliable sources, and how writers can frame wellness stories with both compassion and caution. Moderator Meryl Davids Landau, Independent journalist Speakers Rina Raphael, Journalist, Author Rachel Gutman-Wei, The Atlantic, Senior Editor Dr. Jen Caudle, 6 ABC Action News, On-Air Health Expert This session was recorded at Health Journalism 2026 in Minneapolis. To learn more about the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, visit healthjournalism.org. Audio captured by Audio Visual Production Solutions Video Editor: Hyacinth Empinado