How to reverse a breakthrough in the national news? Politely ask.
A week or so ago I came across an ABC story on YouTube, via its flagship 7:30 Report, that was promoted as a “sepsis breakthrough”. That word always has me on edge. What could this breakthrough be?
It seemed that a clinical trial of a drug developed by Australians had gone relatively well in a cohort of Chinese patients. But there was still a long way to go before it would be approved. ABC’s piece wasn’t terrible, but it could have done with a little more focus — and less hyperbole.
After asking questions the ABC last week, they decided to quietly change the thumbnail on YouTube and their website. It now says “Sepsis Fight” rather than Sepsis Breakthrough. That’s a win, I think, for curbing hyperbole.
But there were other outlets that simply couldn’t help themselves going even bigger, exclaiming this research had found the holy grail, that it was a gamechanger… that it was, yes, a breakthrough.
I’m not so sure.
Full story 👉 https://lnkd.in/gUzrZNPq