Newspaper coverage of SCAM in 2025

1. United States 🇺🇸
   Past media analyses show that hundreds of newspaper articles on herbal remedies and CAM research appeared in U.S. outlets — e.g., The New York Times, Washington Post, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — roughly 296 articles across a sample set in one study period. The U.S. consistently has the largest absolute newspaper coverage of CAM topics among sampled countries. Source
2. United Kingdom 🇬🇧
   UK newspapers have historically published more CAM articles than some European peers. A classic analysis found 26 complementary medicine articles in a small sample, much more than Germany’s 4 in the same period. UK media also produce frequent health columns on CAM. Source
3. Canada 🇨🇦
   Canada also shows strong newspaper coverage in media analyses, with around 100 CAM-related articles in one sample set comparing herbal remedy reporting. Source
4. Australia 🇦🇺 / New Zealand 🇳🇿
   Although fewer in number compared with the U.S., UK, and Canada, combined sampling suggests active CAM reporting (studies sometimes group Australia/NZ due to smaller markets). Source
5. China 🇨🇳
   China has major health media like Health News, which regularly publishes sections on traditional Chinese medicine and TCM-related health topics, likely generating substantial newspaper coverage on integrative and traditional medicine in 2025. Source
6. Germany 🇩🇪
   German newspapers have less frequent CAM coverage than the UK but still publish. Traditional and complementary medicine (e.g., homeopathy, naturopathy) remain topics of public health journalism in Germany. Source
7. India 🇮🇳
   Given India’s nationwide emphasis on Ayurveda and CAM via government ministries and public discourse, it’s likely that Indian press coverage (in English and regional languages) is substantial, even if exact counts are not available.
8. France 🇫🇷
   France has a vibrant print media environment with interest in CAM and holistic wellness; while it may trail the UK/U.S. in volume, strong consumer interest suggests notable coverage.
9. Italy 🇮🇹 / Spain 🇪🇸 / Brazil 🇧🇷
   These countries have active popular press that covers health and wellness topics, including traditional and complementary therapies, but likely at lower volumes compared with the top five.

• Direct media counting for 2025 isn’t available globally, so this ranking is inferred based on existing studies of newspaper coverage patterns and the relative size and health news activity of national press markets.
• Empirical data show the U.S., UK, and Canada dominate reported newspaper articles on herbal remedies and CAM topics in sample sets. Source
• European and Asian countries with high public and clinical interest in traditional and integrative medicine — such as China, India, Germany, and France — likely generate substantial coverage through both general and specialized health sections.

Fine — but this ranking does not account for the vast differences in population sizes. Obviously large countries publish more articles than smaller ones. Adjusted for this factor, AI generates a different list:

Rank – Country (Rationale + Population Adjustment)

1. United Kingdom 🇬🇧
   High health journalism output, strong national press interest in CAM topics, and substantial coverage in national media per capita.High per-capita newspaper engagement × ~70 million population.
2. Canada 🇨🇦
   Smaller population with strong national news output on healthcare issues historically.
3. Australia 🇦🇺 / New Zealand 🇳🇿 (tied)
   Active CAM reporting out of proportion to populations.
4. United States 🇺🇸
   Very high absolute output, but lower per-capita intensity.
5. France 🇫🇷
   Prominent CAM narratives keep per-capita coverage relatively high.
6. Germany 🇩🇪
   Moderate coverage diluted by population size.
7. Brazil 🇧🇷
   Substantial coverage, lower per-capita impact.
8. India 🇮🇳
   Large population and linguistic dispersion reduce per-capita density.
9. China 🇨🇳
   Vast population dilutes per-capita ranking.
10. Indonesia 🇮🇩 / Pakistan 🇵🇰 / Bangladesh 🇧🇩
    Growing press activity but low per-capita emphasis.

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This second list is more in accordance with my impression, after observing the output of several countries for many years.

What does it mean?

Is it good or bad news that the UK, Canada, Australia/New Zealand and the US top both lists?

The answer depends on the quality of the coverage. In my experience, it is often very poor and biased in favour of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM). This means these populations are at high risk of being misled. Responsible information and critical assessments — like those provided on this blog — are therefore desperately needed.