Contextual Analysis
- Nov 8, 2015
- 1 min read
Katie Munson
Professor Sessolo
Writing 100
6 November 2015
Poh Si Teng and Alan Schwarz composed the video, “How Pharmaceuticals Sell A.D.H.D.,” for the New York Times, a left-wing newspaper. Teng is a video journalist and producer for the New York Times. She also shoots and produces documentaries and national and international news. Schwarz began as a sports reporter and worked his way up to becoming a frequent writer for the sports section and the primary writer for the “Keeping Score” series. The video was published on December 14, 2013. By 2013, major pharmaceutical companies had become multi billion dollar businesses. The excessive marketing of these companies has contributed to their success.
Teng and Schwarz are targeting parents of children who might be persuaded by advertisements into thinking that their child has ADHD and that medication is the best way to deal with this issue. They include the opinion of Aaron Kesselheim, a Harvard professor, who analyzes many ads for stimulants and explains the effectiveness of each. Kesselheim has conducted research on pharmaceutical development and how different factors have affected it.
Today, ADHD is becoming more and more prevalent among children and adolescents, so many parents have become concerned that their child has ADHD. Several advertisements for stimulants will play on the fears of these parents to persuade them to medicate their children.
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