3 ms·
I feel like there's this bizarre impedance mismatch in communication - that the internet lends itself to passing around headlines without associating the proper
by gnusty_gnurc 6y ago
I feel like there's this bizarre impedance mismatch in communication - that the internet lends itself to passing around headlines without associating the proper context/nuance. So in effect, an academic article that ultimately says that there's no easy way to gauge the effectiveness of cloth masks is passed around as "Data do not back cloth masks." No one is lying or deceiving, but the perception received broadly will be wrong.
This echos the same thing that happens with the WHO. And given that these are huge, central institutions - they need to take more care around how their pronouncements are received.
- citrin_ru 6y agoIMHO it happens mostly because of perverse incentives of AD supported media: controversial statements attract more clicks (and more revenue). Point that "masks don't work" (even if it is not stated directly, but assumed) is more controversial than: "we don't know if masks work". With COVID-19 I see fair amount of articles when a scientist says "We don't have (strong) evidence for X" and an article hints that X is not true (without saying this explicitily).