Why don’t they teach journalists some science?
A recent study has made a big splash in the news with eye-catching headlines like: Raunchy Lyrics Prompt Teens to Have Sex. In what should be a simple example of correlation does not mean causation, we have a media sensation that rocking local newscasts and newspapers. I’m sure Oprah will chime in soon.
In the above linked article, compare the headline and then read the article’s first sentence: “Teens whose iPods are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs, a study found.” The headline implies causation and the leading sentence implies correlation.
After all, it’s seems like common sense that teens that have sex tend to listen to music with sexual lyrics.
If the journalist actually read the study, they would see the following in the conclusion, “Our results suggest that the relationship between exposure and behavior may be causal in nature … however, our correlational data do not allow us to make causal inferences with certainty.”
My guess is that the headline implying causation sells more papers or gets more viewers. It’s another reminder that media companies exist to make money; not necessary to deliver the full truth. Which is a shame; the research study has lots of interesting info in it.
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