[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 180 (Friday, September 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56071-56072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20947]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


National Cancer Institute; Submission for OMB Review, Comments 
Request; Improving Media Coverage of Cancer: A Survey of Science and 
Health Reporters

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of section 3507(a)(1)(D) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Cancer Institute, the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the 
information collection listed below. This proposed information 
collection was previously published in the Federal Register on March 
11, 2004, page 11638 and allowed 60 days for public comment. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public 
comment. The National Institutes of Health may not conduct or sponsor, 
and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information 
collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after 
October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control 
number.

Proposed Collection

    Title: Improving Media Coverage of Cancer: A Survey of Science and 
Health Reporters.
    Type of Information Collection Request: New.
    Need and Use of Information Collection: The NCI is dedicated to 
improving the extent and quality of cancer coverage in all forms of 
news media. Towards this goal, the NCI would like to explore how health 
stories are currently being covered in print, television, and radio 
news coverage and would also like to understand the barriers that exist 
to better health and cancer coverage. Information from this research 
can be used to support the myriad of efforts and initiatives of the NCI 
as described in the Bypass Budget to ``understand and apply the most 
effective communications approaches to maximize access to and use of 
cancer information by all who need it.'' The primary objective of the 
NCI Media survey of reporters and editors covering health and medical 
science news stories in the U.S. is to gain knowledge of their 
background, environment, perspectives, and training needs in an effort 
to develop initiatives that will improve news media reportage of health 
in general and cancer in particular. Six hundred reporters and 
editorial personnel of daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, wire 
service agencies, and television and radio stations with a specific 
focus on health and medical science reporting will be surveyed to 
determine their socio-demographic characteristics, individual 
characteristics, occupational practices, and other organizational and 
environmental factors that influence how they report health and medical 
science stories. This information will allow NCI to assess reporters' 
training needs, the barriers they face, and the resources NCI can 
develop to assist them in reporting cancer-related stories.
    Frequency of Response: Once.
    Affected Public: Individuals and businesses.
    Type of Respondents: Reporters and editors.
    The annual reporting burden is as follows:
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 600;
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1;
    Average Burden Hours per Response: .25; and
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested: 150.
    The total estimated cost to respondents is $2,838. There are no 
Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to 
report.

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                                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per     Total burden
                   Respondents                      respondents    responses per   response  (in    (in hours)
                                                                    respondent        hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporters.......................................             600               1             .25             150
                                                 -----------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             150
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies should address one or more of the 
following points: (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
(4) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions 
regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding 
the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be 
directed to the: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory 
Affairs, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503, Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on 
the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans 
and instruments, contact: Helen I. Meissner, PhD, Chief, Applied Cancer 
Screening Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of 
Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 
Executive Plaza North, Suite 4102, 6130 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7331, 
Bethesda, MD 20892-7331, or call non-toll-free

[[Page 56072]]

number (301) 435-8236 or e-mail your request, including your address 
to: [email protected].
    Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection 
are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days 
of the date of this publication.

    Dated: September 9, 2004.
Rachelle Ragland Greene,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 04-20947 Filed 9-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M