The Washington Post has this specimen of science journalism at its worst.
The Washington Post has this specimen of science journalism at its worst. Weak correlative data about the presence of certain industrial food byproducts in fast food is gleefully transformed into full-blown alarm bells. Check out this textbook sample of medical panic journalism:
Researchers at George Washington University have linked fast-food consumption to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals, a connection they argue could have "great public health significance." Specifically, the team found that people who eat fast food tend to have significantly higher levels of certain phthalates, which are commonly used in consumer products such as soap and makeup to make them less brittle but have been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including higher rates of infertility,especially among males.
The researchers' demand to alter the headline from "alarming" to "striking" is also dodgy. They should have thought twice about giving an alarmist interview to a sensationalist science media outlet.
The Washington Post is hereby bumped a notch lower on my Antiscience Journalist list.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/15/researchers-have-found-an-alarming-new-side-effect-from-eating-fast-food/?tid=pm_business_pop_b
Researchers at George Washington University have linked fast-food consumption to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals, a connection they argue could have "great public health significance." Specifically, the team found that people who eat fast food tend to have significantly higher levels of certain phthalates, which are commonly used in consumer products such as soap and makeup to make them less brittle but have been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including higher rates of infertility,especially among males.
The researchers' demand to alter the headline from "alarming" to "striking" is also dodgy. They should have thought twice about giving an alarmist interview to a sensationalist science media outlet.
The Washington Post is hereby bumped a notch lower on my Antiscience Journalist list.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/15/researchers-have-found-an-alarming-new-side-effect-from-eating-fast-food/?tid=pm_business_pop_b
Scott FW also, researchers gotta pimp their science to get those Grants (due to budget cuts, they're not paid in Benjamins).
ReplyDeleteFast food bingers may have cause for concern. But heart disease will probably get them first.
ReplyDeleteNot surprised at all, everything kills you these days which is why i dont give a fuck. I'll drink a six pack everyday and eat me a greasy burger. Fuck it.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Anti-Anti seems just as Anti as Anti.
ReplyDelete