Bidding adieu to the HPH audience

In the realm of public health journalism, the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM) through its PubMed Central (PMC) platform operated a unique platform—Healthbeat. Launched as a digital publication, Healthbeat boasted a social media presence, a weekly newsletter, and a variety of co-sponsored events, including a structural racism symposium, a special issue on public health data, a Public Health in Action collaboration, and an event on artificial intelligence.

Michael F. Fitzgerald, a seasoned journalist with a career spent chronicling the impact of high technology, was the author of the newsletter. Over the years, Healthbeat's stories have been republished on other sites, mentioned in newsletters, and cited in other publications. They have even been used in classrooms, testament to the impact this publication had on the public health discourse.

In its final year, Healthbeat saw a significant surge in readership. Almost 15,000 people signed up for the newsletter, with close to 90% not connected to Harvard. Over 40% of readers opened the newsletter in a typical week, and visitors to the site almost tripled in the last year's fourth quarter compared to the prior year. Readers shared articles more than 2 million times on social media in the last year.

The publication aimed to break out of the typical crisis-driven flow of journalism about public health. Instead, Healthbeat focused on a wide range of topics, including Reproductive Health, Tech & Innovation, Environmental Health, Equity, Policy & Practice, Global Health, Human Behavior, Mental Health, and more. Readers showed particular interest in articles about processed foods, the health effects of alcohol, mental health, the Flint water crisis, Christian Happi's aims for African science, and the Puerto Rican elections.

Unfortunately, due to financial reasons and not being part of a university's core mission, Healthbeat is shutting down. Michael F. Fitzgerald expresses his gratitude to the school, colleagues, advisory board, and readers who supported the website throughout its journey. He considers the work done at Healthbeat as the most meaningful and important of his career.

In the face of Healthbeat's closure, Fitzgerald emphasizes the importance of the public health community staying engaged and telling their stories. After all, the power of journalism lies in its ability to inform, inspire, and ignite change. Despite the loss of Healthbeat, the public health community continues to thrive, and its stories will undoubtedly continue to be told.

As for the future, a new initiative called Healthbeat is focusing on Atlanta and New York City. While it may not be the same as the original Healthbeat, it serves as a testament to the enduring importance of public health journalism and the community's commitment to keeping the conversation alive.