Media flubs on report of Cell phone use and cancer

[hambubba]

First, the report on the study, in Science Daily:

No Clear Connection Between Mobile Phone Use And Brain Cancer, International Study Concludes


Then, a press article:

Mobile phone use 'linked to tumour'


Are they referring to the same study?

From the first link:

The research data from the participating countries was analysed by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). Funding for the study in Finland was provided by the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Academy of Finland and Doctoral Programs for Public Health (DPPH).

The study data collected between 2000 and 2004 included 1,521 glioma patients

They quoted this guy:

"Even though the results do not indicate that mobile phone use increases the risk of cancer, we need more research data on long-term use," says Anssi Auvinen, Research Professor at the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.

From the second link:

Researchers from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland compared the mobile phone use of 1,521 people with gliomas with that of 3,301 people without the cancers.... ...

Same guy:

Prof Anssi Auvinen, an epidemiologist involved in the study, said: "It seems credible as it was after long-term exposure — which makes sense in terms of the length of time it takes for tumours to develop — and it is localised to the side of the head where the handset is held."

Selective quoting? Much different results.

[keokuk]

I don't think it's necessarily selective quoting. Neither of the articles say that he made the statements as part of a press release, as part of the report, or in public remarks. This leads me to think that it's more likely that both publications called Auvinen separately for quotes, and he made different statements with wildly different implications to reporters from the different publications.

From my own experiences, it is very easy for the press to get the science story wrong (or to slant it the way THEY want...).

[BluesScale]

Also, researchers rarely say that more research is not needed in much the same way as insurance salesmen rarely say that you are carrying enough cover.

Blues

Originally Posted by BluesScale

Also, researchers rarely say that more research is not needed in much the same way as insurance salesmen rarely say that you are carrying enough cover.

well, how else can we still get funding? If I wrote a paper and said, "This is IT." It would pretty much end my funding (So you got it figured out. Why should we then give you more money?).