Science(tm) Strikes Again

[the0lady]

 
So, considering the fact that there is really very little, you know, media bias against women and that, and that the Findings of Science should be respected because, you know, the data is the data and you can't argue with facts, how do you reckon this:

Promiscuous men more likely to rape

Turned into this:

Women who dress provocatively more

Comments

[martinoh]

It is rarely and then usually with gritted teeth that I compliment the Grauniad, but Goldacre's piece deserves applause and a wide readership. The truth appears to be not that one headline has become the other but that neither is an honest reporting of the original paper, albeit that the BPS billing is closer to the conclusions of the author by several miles than that of the Telegraph.

As regards the Telegraph article, I have expended considerable ingenuity and no little time in attempting to construct a defensive vehicle for its tone and content; so far, every test run has ended in a crash and burn. If this was a commentary piece and someone was drawing attention to how easy it is to draw the conclusions of your choice from what is after all, a small and not exactly inclusive sampling then it may have been seen to have some value. As a piece of science reporting though, it stinks on ice.