I have chosen to look at a 2002 news story from the New York Times archives. The New York Times paper is among the top three newspapers in America and has a readership of over 5million daily.
The news story I am looking at was from the Times Health section. Autism Relief Found In Drug, Study Shows. The article discusses research findings on the, then, new drug Risperdal. The drug made by Johnson & Johnson, was originally manufactured to help adult Schizophrenia patients. Research as highlighted it as a potential aid for childhood behavioural problems, in particular, Autism.
The story is drawing from the report and research released previously in The New England Journal of Medicine. Describing the study as, “The first controlled study in Autistic children.”
The article plays up the potential groundbreaking discoveries of the findings by highlighting how stressful Autism can be for sufferers and how Riperidal can help give a better quality of life to children. 69 % of children who took the drug were found to have a positive reaction. Easing restlessness, muscle twitches and awkward movements for up to 6months.
The focus was obviously on how successful the trials had been and how during trials the drug how been found to have far fewer side effects than any other antipsychotic drug previously tested. The article did make some suggestion that the drug could cause side effects such as fatigue, dizziness and drooling these were down played by calling them, “mild reactions.” I would say however, such reactions would still be scary for a child who was already suffering from behavioural problems or had severe learning difficulties.
The story is clear to highlight that the research was government funded, therefore giving credibility to such research and in turn the positivity of the findings. Manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson enjoy a reputation as producers of family related products and producing a medication that could aid in any childhood illness would be a huge boost for the company’s reputation.
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