Under the headline, “Big science zooms in on a new cure for baldness” – which was about male-pattern baldness, the Los Angeles Times Health blog published a local TV station’s video segment about a “Go Bald shave-a-thon” fundraiser with a little boy who had neuroblastoma.
Did someone actually think the two totally unrelated types of baldness were related? Male-pattern baldness in adult males versus kids with cancer who “go bald” as a result of treatment?
Or was this an auto-generated layout – with the website grabbing anything that had baldness as a key word and posting the stories on the same page?
In either case, a fix is in order.
If it’s the former reason, someone needs some education.
If it’s the latter reason, if this is the way your website is populated, you have a problem that needs correction.
Here’s a screenshot of the webpage.
ADDENDUM on 3/23: The video has now been removed from the LA Times Health blog story and replaced with a photo of Jason Alexander, actor, who, the caption says, “like many men, has a bald pate.”
ADDENDUM later in day on 3/22:
Back on the male-pattern baldness story – breathless headlines abound.
TIME gushes: “Study Finds Patter in Male Baldness: Could There Be a Cure?”
But here’s what the story reported: “researchers have identified a protein that appears to play a role in male pattern baldness.”
Proteins that appear to play a role 
CURE. Others need to get the message:
Is curing male-pattern baldness important to you? – CBC.ca
New Cause For Male Pattern Baldness Discovered: Is Cure Next? (CBS News)
Cure for baldness in ‘could be on sale within five years’ – Daily Mail
Baldness Cure May Be on Horizon – MedPage Today
Possible baldness cure on horizon – Fox TV
Researchers closer to finding baldness cure – ABC7Chicago.com
An Effective Cure for Baldness May Soon Be On the Market – Medical Daily
Breakthrough Male Baldness Cure Could Be On Sale Within Five Years – Huffington Post
And NBC News put Cure in its onscreen graphic, referred to a “baldness cure” with the tired old “Holy Grail of medicine” line, and said a cream or medicine could be available “as soon as 5 years.” The height (or depth) of hyperbole.
Opinions on other issues in news, journals, PR, advertising, marketing
Monday at #ADA2021, an infectious disease epidemiologist, a journalist, and a researcher shared perspectives on communication of risk in the era of COVID-19: http://ow.ly/ROfR30rMeE7 @AstleyCM @garyschwitzer @berthahidalgo @ADA_DiabetesPro
Shoutouts to @susan_bewley @drkevinknopf @MichaelBaum11 in this call for more than fawning coverage from press releases for these kinds of stories.
Also, linked history inside goes back 5 years just on Grail apparently trying to become Holy Grail. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1408849696416841731
Comments (2)
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Alan
March 22, 2012 at 11:12 amDoubly offensive. Even without the the juxtaposition with shave-a-thon, the whole “cure for baldness” is offensive. Bald guy and proud member of the “no rugs, no drugs, no plugs” club.
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