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Search Results for "coffee"

5/7/2020

Flubs and flaws in New York Times stories on llamas and coffee

I’ve written it and said it before: I applaud most of the New York Times pandemic-era news coverage. But I continue to see head-scratching lapses in editorial approach and judgment – flaws that could be so easily corrected with a bit more caution and care. Hoping llamas will become coronavirus heroes is a Times story […]

6/6/2019

9,125 cups of coffee a year still good for you?

As crazy as our headline sounds, it is merely taking CNN’s headline, below, and spreading it out over a year. CNN quoted one of the researchers: The main message for people to take away from this is that coffee can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle, and coffee lovers can be reassured by […]

1
10/22/2018

Can coffee ‘tame the redness of rosacea’? Here’s what you need to know about the New York Times’ coverage

Here’s another example in our occasional series documenting how the New York Times’ ‘Well’ section is often unwell. This time it’s a brief story claiming that “Coffee may tame the redness of rosacea.” Let’s start with the fact that this study was observational and had many limitations, which we’ll explain below. (Read our primer on observational […]

3
7/3/2018

A venti-sized serving of misinformation in news stories on latest coffee study

If you want to get a sense of how tired readers are of the latest round of headlines pondering the health benefits (or risks) of coffee, then all you need to do is read the replies on this tweet: Coffee is good for you, more science shows. https://t.co/YiZ7yOfItw — NBC News (@NBCNews) July 2, 2018 […]

July 14, 2017 | Story Review

“Good for you” or not? Mixed messages in LA Times coverage of coffee studies

If the studies “weren’t designed to show that drinking more coffee caused people to live longer,” why suggest that drinking more coffee may “extend your life”?

4 Star
Los Angeles Times

Two big studies bolster the claim that coffee – even decaf – is good for you

3
7/11/2017

Coffee & sleep stories mostly miss the association ≠ causation emphasis

Just a quickie.  You’ve heard what follows many times before from us.  It is one of the most common flaws in health care journalism. Studies that show a statistical association between two things do not necessarily prove that one thing causes another to occur. We saw that principle violated several times in news coverage of […]

June 22, 2017 | News Release Review 1

Key omission: Coffee-based surgical stabilizing cap never tested in actual surgeries

The release also omitted costs and limitations of the research.

3 Star
Vanderbilt University

How six cups of ground coffee can improve nose, throat surgery

headline vs study
2/20/2017

Headline vs. study: Cancer breath, common weeds, and coffee forever!

This is our third go-round looking for disconnects between what a headline implies or emphasizes, and what the substance of the referenced study really is. And we are beginning to see some themes that almost invariably raise our eyebrows, such as headlines that make factual claims from what are clearly preliminary results. Or headlines that–usually in a […]

January 19, 2017 | Story Review 1

‘Coffee might slow down aging?’ That’s a stretch

In an observational study on inflammation researchers identified caffeine as having an inhibitory effect on one gene associated with inflammation. But there’s scant evidence for the article to suggest that lowering inflammation levels — or drinking coffee — will prevent diseases associated with inflammation.

1 Star
Time

How Your Morning Coffee Might Slow Down Aging

12/18/2015

5-Star Friday: Smarter PSA testing, science’s Lake Wobegon effect, lifesaving coffee, and more

In what will be our last 5-Star Friday celebrating quality journalism in 2015, we take a look back at recently reviewed stories and news releases that have set a high standard for excellence and earned 5-star ratings from our reviewers. This HealthDay story, “Breast-feeding linked to reduced risk of preemie eye problem,” by Kathleen Doheny, is […]

November 20, 2015 | Story Review

Could coffee “literally be a lifesaver”?

An over-the-top headline and lack of absolute numbers limit the value of an otherwise worthy and responsible discussion of this new coffee study.

3 Star
CNN

Coffee could literally be a lifesaver

November 20, 2015 | Story Review 4

Will drinking coffee extend your life? STAT delivers a 5-star answer

This story on the latest coffee study delivers an appropriate evidence-based message, and manages to do so while keeping readers engaged and entertained.

5 Star
STAT

Will drinking coffee extend your life?

2
8/18/2015

Coffee, colon cancer, and caveats about observational studies

A paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, “Coffee Intake, Recurrence, and Mortality in Stage III Colon Cancer,” is receiving a lot of news media attention, and much of it is incomplete on key points.  The researchers concluded: “Higher coffee intake may be associated with significantly reduced cancer recurrence and death in patients with stage III colon […]

5
7/2/2015

Shut up and sip your coffee – says Slate

Brian Palmer of Slate sounds like he’s as fed up with observational studies about coffee’s benefits and coffee’s harms as we are. He published a piece, “Shut Up and Sip: Coffee is neither good nor bad for you.  Now you may go.”  It makes me think of the book (cover image at right) written by […]

May 14, 2015 | Story Review

Unbalanced Times column reflects coffee confirmation bias

This column recounts a laundry list of observational studies showing health benefits of coffee consumption without ever delving into the limitations of such research.

3 Star
The New York Times

More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

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