Exploring the challenges and prospects of healthcare reporting in India's Hinterland

Differential access and utilisation of healthcare services are caused by multiple Social Determinants of Health (SDHs), which requires adequate and informed policy intervention. The mass media, mainly the news media, have been seen as a practical approach in communicating the health anomalies at the policy level. The comprehensive coverage of factors associated with the healthcare system can further lead to addressing inequalities in health. The study was aimed to identify the factors that act against effective reporting of healthcare news from peripheral regions of India. The qualitative method was employed to examine media professionals' persistent challenges and experiences in covering health-related disparities. Sixteen media professionals were interviewed during October 2019 employed in vernacular news agencies all across the north-eastern state of Assam, India. Three themes have emerged from the analysis covering health-related news and barriers to healthcare in the peripheral region and identifying health-related disparities. It is found that an effective reporting mechanism of the health news will positively influence the policymakers and undertake efforts to address the health-related disparities.