Bad Health Reporting in Newspapers

MrCreosote

Maybe we could have a general thread for the odd time there's some bull spouted in the media. The homeopathic article in the IT a few weeks back was an example. The Daily Mail would have to be banned though.

Here's one I noticed, which is up to the usual journalistic standards of the Indo:
http://www.independent.ie/health/latest-news/mrsa-rate-drops-but-warning-over-new-bloodbug-threat-2615314.html

"New Blood Bug"= the dreaded MSSA!
That'll be the usual Staph aureus then...

Tree

call me a fool, but isnt the new MSSA just replacing the MRSA cases which is a Good Thing?

Hurrah for newspapers etc...

bleg

Check out after hours. At least once a week there's some poor reporting there and plenty of posters blowing it out of proportion!

Dave!

The Daily Mail has a pull-out section every day which is usually full of all sorts of quackery and bullshít... Such an odious, disgusting rag

Dr Galen

The reporting standards in most papers when it comes to health and healthcare are generally pretty poor tbh. Whether it's the latest crisis to hit, or some new treatment, it's rarely more than a regurgitated press release.

El_Dangeroso

The BBC news website is lethal for dubious scientific reporting.

They constantly report mice studies or epidemiology as if they are large multi-centre double-blind RCT's.

Actually I struggle to think of one media publication that prints consistently thorough scientific reporting.