This discussion forum activity will push you to do a bit of fact finding on media reporting of a research study.
The article definitely has a certain slant to it, but the authors do a nice job of outlining how a series of assumptions based on a certain finding can lead to a potentially dangerous and/or damaging conclusion. As carefully as researchers work to maintain the reliability and validity of their research study, it is all too easy for media reporting to take their findings and skew, slant, misrepresent, or even misreport the findings. As you encounter statements like “Research has found” or “Studies show” in media messages – no matter the media platform or source – make sure that you pause and critically evaluate the information provided.
For this activity, begin by finding an example of a study reported in the media. You might watch a morning show, television news report, or something you find on social media or a site like google news.
Review the study by researching the findings. Pretend you’re a reporter or a detective who needs to fact-check a story. Try to find the actual research study whose findings were reported in the media. Report to the class:
- A brief overview of the study in your own words as presented by the media.
- Any differences between the way the study was reported in the media and what you found by researching the study.
**Include a link to the media report of the study and a link to the study itself, if you can find it.
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