Getting it Right: Recent Portrayal of T1D in Mass Media

Although diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the U.S., our mass media and popular culture don’t always portray it accurately.  Some of the most common misunderstandings result from confusion between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).  Reports in the media may refer to “diabetes” as a preventable disease.  News stories may explain T1D as “juvenile diabetes” and show images of overweight children eating sugary treats.  As a result, people with T1D and their loved ones are often frustrated and wish that more people had a better understanding of what T1D is and how they live with it.

When possible, JDRF seeks opportunities to draw more media attention to T1D and ensure that it’s portrayed accurately and responsibly.   Creating more awareness and understanding not only eases some of the frustration that people with T1D face in their daily lives, but also increases support for our efforts to cure, treat and prevent T1D.  Recently, a number of news outlets as well as popular television programs have featured stories that accurately portray T1D, which we think are worth sharing with the T1D community:

• A Wall Street Journal article, “New Push to Treat the Other Diabetes” focused on TrialNet, an important JDRF-funded trial resource for people and families with T1D.  After the article was published, many in the T1D community commented that the article accurately portrayed T1D and the importance of early screening to identify family members at genetic risk of developing T1D in the future.

• CNN ran a news story about a JDRF-funded clinical trial testing a closed-loop artificial pancreas system. The story featured JDRF Children’s Congress 2011 Chair and Government Relations Committee member Stefany Shaheen and her daughter Elle, who participated in the trial. 

• A few weeks later, the national daytime talk show, The Doctors aired a segment on JDRF’s artificial pancreas trial.  The segment featured Stefan and Elle sharing information on how this new technology could help Elle and other people with T1D manage their condition on a daily basis.

• ABC’s hit show Body of Proof featured a story line in which the lead character’s daughter was diagnosed with T1D.  During the character’s diagnosis the story stressed facts about T1D to help educate others about the disease.  At the end of the show, a 10 second message aired, informing viewers that every day 80 kids and adults are diagnosed with T1D and inviting them to contact JDRF for more information.  After the show aired, the T1D community expressed widespread support for the episode’s accurate portrayal of T1D and the feelings and fears many families face during times of diagnosis. 

Another opportunity to create awareness about T1D among a wider audience will be JDRF’s appearance on an upcoming episode of AMC’s new unscripted reality series, The Pitch.  The episode will feature JDRF’s president and CEO Jeffrey Brewer, along with JDRF's senior vice president of development, Mania Boyder, and JDRF's chief marketing officer, Scott McCormick, as they select a winning advertising agency to design a campaign for JDRF.  The challenge for the ad agencies is to create a campaign for JDRF focused on T1D at all ages and at all stages of the disease.

Be sure to tune in to The Pitch on AMC on Sunday, May 27 at 11 p.m. (10 p.m. CT) to see the episode featuring JDRF.  For news and updates about the episode, follow us on JDRF.org, Facebook and Twitter.