Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – "I believe that, precisely in this sector, stories are a fundamental shift in perception. Illness is an individual story, it's a journey, a confrontation in which you have allies—doctors, healthcare workers, those who treat you—and an enemy within you." These were the words of writer Maurizio De Giovanni, speaking today at the Cardarelli Hospital in Naples at the second edition of the Health Journalism Forum, which opened with the monologue "The Value of Storytelling in the Perception of Health," dedicated to the power of stories in shaping the experience of illness, treatment, and human frailty.
"This journey is a story," he explained. "It's a personal story, a very individual one. If it's told like this, it's perceived correctly, in my opinion, more than ever in this industry. Stories are the figures that make you understand what's written in the text. It's important, in short, to foster awareness and not rely on fear or stress."
“I believe that collaboration is fundamental,” he continued. “If you're on the same side of the fence, aware that if you do what your commander tells you well, you have a better chance of winning your battle, I believe it's absolutely necessary and useful.
Also because we often struggle, especially in terms of prevention, with habits we have, whose lethality we don't know exactly, whose impact we don't know exactly, and how much harm they can do us. So making sure we're aware of this—and this is a personal story—making sure we're aware of this brings us closer to success."
The writer's assessment of fake news in healthcare and the damage it can cause to citizens, users, and patients is clear: "I believe this is one of the shadiest, most criminal, and most horrific practices there is.
"Feeding beliefs for personal gain—because that's the main reason—to propose false cures, useless remedies, I believe is one of the worst things you can do. It's profiting from suffering, but above all, it's profiting from people's hopes. And profiting from hope, depriving, fueling false dreams, I believe is one of the most terrible things you can do to another person."
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