Just read the headlines:
Magic pill for spine injuries: blue M&Ms?
Rocky Mountain Independent
Blue Food Dye Treats Spinal Cord Injury?
Ivanhoe
M&M’s, Gatorade May Hold Key To Treating Spinal Cord Injuries
WDIV-TV Detroit
Common, safe blue food dye may treat broken spines
Reuters
Perhaps the best because it emphasizes RATS in the headline:
Blue Dye Halts Worsening Paralysis in Animal Study
U.S. News & World Report – (a HealthDay News story)or
Blue Food Dye Helps Rats With Spinal Injuries-But Also Turns Them Blue
Discover Magazine
Perhaps the worst, because it actually puts the word “cure” in the headline:
Can blue M & Ms cure paralysis?
Chicago Tribuneor
The Blue Dye in M&Ms Cures Spinal Injuries
Popular Science
Add to these the recent awful stories on paralysis and spinal cord rehab by ABC and CBS and you can only feel empathy for those suffering with these problems who are jerked around by sensational headlines and sometimes by the stories that follow.
Opinions on other issues in news, journals, PR, advertising, marketing
Puleeeeease... this 'game changer' weight loss drug causes more nausea and vomiting than a placebo. Some game, some change. My friend Gary would spank you for using the eighth word medical reporters should never, ever use. @garyschwitzer @thackerpd
https://www.healthnewsreview.org/toolkit/just-journalists-writing-tips-case-studies/7-words-and-more-you-shouldnt-use-in-medical-news/ https://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen/status/1361426796126830597
A scary @statnews Op-Ed warns that govt attempts to rein in Pharma may cut off access to "life-changing" drugs.
It takes @garyschwitzer to let us know: the author spent 10 years as Pfizer's public-policy chief. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1360325022578053123
.@TranspariMED criticizes STAT op-ed for not disclosing pharma funding of author’s institute - similar to criticism we’ve made of STAT op-eds in the past. @transparify @ThinkTankWatch @icer_review https://www.healthnewsreview.org/2021/02/transparency-watchdog-criticizes-stats-non-disclosure-on-pro-pharma-op-ed/
Comments (4)
Please note, comments are no longer published through this website. All previously made comments are still archived and available for viewing through select posts.
Lindsey Slattery
July 29, 2009 at 10:34 amI saw that story on CNN as well, with a picture of a cute little white rat with blue ears and nose. The fact that it was tested on rodents was downplayed so much in the CNN piece, they only mentioned the word “rodents” or “rats” twice. Plus, I am sure turning a deep shade of blue will be especially acceptable to a human patient as long there is a chance that their spinal injury could be improved.
Wow.
Kevin Leete
July 29, 2009 at 11:35 amThe CNN piece actually stated that the blue change was “temporary”, which makes sense. No one wants to go around as Nightcrawler or Mystique from X-Men lore…although if it means walking again…
Our Comments Policy
But before leaving a comment, please review these notes about our policy.
You are responsible for any comments you leave on this site.
This site is primarily a forum for discussion about the quality (or lack thereof) in journalism or other media messages (advertising, marketing, public relations, medical journals, etc.) It is not intended to be a forum for definitive discussions about medicine or science.
We will delete comments that include personal attacks, unfounded allegations, unverified claims, product pitches, profanity or any from anyone who does not list a full name and a functioning email address. We will also end any thread of repetitive comments. We don”t give medical advice so we won”t respond to questions asking for it.
We don”t have sufficient staffing to contact each commenter who left such a message. If you have a question about why your comment was edited or removed, you can email us at feedback@healthnewsreview.org.
There has been a recent burst of attention to troubles with many comments left on science and science news/communication websites. Read “Online science comments: trolls, trash and treasure.”
The authors of the Retraction Watch comments policy urge commenters:
We”re also concerned about anonymous comments. We ask that all commenters leave their full name and provide an actual email address in case we feel we need to contact them. We may delete any comment left by someone who does not leave their name and a legitimate email address.
And, as noted, product pitches of any sort – pushing treatments, tests, products, procedures, physicians, medical centers, books, websites – are likely to be deleted. We don”t accept advertising on this site and are not going to give it away free.
The ability to leave comments expires after a certain period of time. So you may find that you’re unable to leave a comment on an article that is more than a few months old.
You might also like