Oh, I agree, I would be in favour of it also. I'm just trying to see it from the POV of a reporter or editor desperately trying to avoid getting tasked with a

Oh, I agree, I would be in favour of it also. I'm just trying to see it from the POV of a reporter or editor desperately trying to avoid getting tasked with a top 10 list article. Actually, maybe adding actual goddamned references would increase their newsworthiness. There is also the issue though, that journos/editors aren't experts, and could linking to a paper be construed as endorsing it, when it might turn out to be wrong?