Scientific Uncertainty in the Press: How Newspapers Describe Initial Biomedical Findings
DUMAS-MALLET, Estelle
Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives [Bordeaux] [IMN]
Centre Émile Durkheim [CED]
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Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives [Bordeaux] [IMN]
Centre Émile Durkheim [CED]
Language
en
Article de revue
This item was published in
Science Communication. 2018-01-12, vol. 40, n° 1, p. 124-141
SAGE Publications
English Abstract
Newspapers preferentially cover initial biomedical findings although they are often disconfirmed by subsequent studies. We analyzed 426 newspaper articles covering 40 initial biomedical studies associating a risk factor ...Read more >
Newspapers preferentially cover initial biomedical findings although they are often disconfirmed by subsequent studies. We analyzed 426 newspaper articles covering 40 initial biomedical studies associating a risk factor with 12 pathologies and published between 1988 and 2009. Most articles presented the study as initial but only 21% mentioned that it must be confirmed by replication. Headlines of articles with a replication statement were hyped less often than those without. Replication statements have tended to disappear after 2000, whereas hyped headlines have become more frequent. Thus, the public is increasingly poorly informed about the uncertainty inherent in initial biomedical findings.Read less <
English Keywords
uncertainty
initial biomedical studies
hype
health communication
newspapers
Origin
Hal imported