Tickers

My assignment today was about the decrease in heart attacks the Monday following the autumnal ritual of setting the clocks back an hour.

The discussion appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, it was a letter to the editor...not an actual article, a point I made in my report.

While the Swedish data are certainly interesting, and probably legit, there is a difference. A letter to the editor could state informed opinion, describe a case report or case series, or reflect systematic study. This letter seemed to be the latter, and perhaps published now for its timely relevance. Nevertheless, it was not accepted in the form of an article -- a process that is arduous, rigorous, and time consuming.

I was surprised how the mass media picked up on this letter to the editor, treating it as if it were simply another article appearing the the journal. I shouldn't be surprised, though. There tends to be a pack mentality in journalism, and if one news outlet covers a story, so must they all, lest one appear to have "missed something."