I hate headlines like this. Yes, it's down 40%, but from what base? Read the article and the benchmark is Q1 2008. Compared to the previous quarter (Q4 2008)

I hate headlines like this. Yes, it's down 40%, but from what base? Read the article and the benchmark is Q1 2008. Compared to the previous quarter (Q4 2008) funding is up 23%. What's the better benchmark? It's debatable but I would argue the previous quarter is a better benchmark (are things still deteriorating, stabilized, getting better or unclear)? Looking at 2007 and 2008, Q4 seems to be the seasonal high in terms of fund raising. I know sensationalism sells and that gets people to click on stories which in turn helps sell advertising, but please...let's break the cycle...