PRECISION JOURNALISM AS A CATALYST FOR IMPROVED HEALTH REPORTING IN PRINT MEDIA

Research Problem: Health journalism shapes public comprehension of medical realities, yet its reliability too frequently erodes due to imprecision, ambiguity, and subpar reliance on solid scientific data. This project examines how precision journalism leverages data-oriented technologies to improve clarity, verify accuracy, and reinforce the overall soundness of health stories. Methods/Theory: Informed by Technological Determinism Theory, the investigation assumes that technological innovations directly mold individual and institutional conduct. Operating within the interpretivist approach, the investigation deployed a secondary data design. A total of forty-five scholarly articles were surveyed, of which ten peer-reviewed pieces published between 2010 and 2025 were analyzed inductively, identifying recurrent themes in newsroom conduct, audience involvement, and institutional limitations. Results: The analysis reveals that precision journalism is incrementally embedding itself in health newsrooms, manifested chiefly in data visualization, interactive infographics, and algorithms that guide report assembly. Yet that embedding is stymied by inadequate digital infrastructure, parsimonious editorial doctrines, and modest funding, challenges that loom largest in Nigeria's print sector. Case studies of the COVID-19 pandemic yield persuasive corroboration, suggesting that data-infused narratives elevated correctness, broadened audiences’ comprehension, and fortified public trust. Conclusion: Precision journalism harbors a pronounced capacity to fortify health coverage, but expansion encounters enduring systemic and institutional obstacles. Key Contribution to Knowledge: The research shows that when organizations embed technology into everyday reporting workflows, health journalism evolves into a steadier, fact-based, and influence-oriented communication discipline, capable of delivering verifiable statements and more useful stories for the public. Recommendation: Programmes should combine tailored workshops for reporters, modern technical infrastructure within newsrooms, and partnerships that routinely join reporters, technologists, and healthcare experts, enabling a disciplined, data-oriented approach to health reporting that also functions as a frontline defense against deceptive narratives.