Background:
Media are currently the first information source for young people. Notwithstanding, in spite of quantity and variety of available messages, information is not always built properly because of frequent discrepancies in the way media usually expose it. With reference to the informative treatment that media bring to health issues in general, and more specifically about drug issues, it’s frequent that perceptions tend to a big sensationalism and non contextualized information, what has a negative bearing on credibility over media.
Methodology:
In this pilot study the relation is analyzed between the degree of credibility given by young people polled to different media, whether referred to general information or to drug issues. In the same way, the relation is investigated between the degree of information about different substances and the perception over treatment that media give to drug information. For that, 115 students (27% men and 73% women) of 1st Degree in Psychology in Miguel Hernandez University (Spain) participated in this study.
Conclusions:
Results shows positive correlations about the degree of credibility given to different media, whether about general information or drug issues. On the other hand, young people have different perceptions about media treatment of news and issues contents, based on objective information level about different drugs.
! Article text in Spanish.