Table 1.
Summary of key results.
Fig 1.
Association between press release and news exaggeration.
The proportions of news with exaggerated advice (A), or causal statements from correlational research (B) were higher when the associated press releases (PR) contained such exaggeration (N for Advice, PR = 247, news = 411; causal claims, PR = 164, news = 237). Error bars are 95% confidence intervals. See Table 1 for odds ratios. Partial results for non-human studies are in supporting information because low N meant this analysis could not be performed.
Fig 2.
No Effect of press release exaggeration on news uptake.
The proportion of press releases (PRs) that have resulting news articles when the press releases do not contain exaggerations (left bars) compared to when they do (right bars) for analyses of advice (A) and causal claims from correlation (B). Error bars are bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals. See Table 1 for odds ratios. Note that full analysis for non-human studies could not be performed because only one exaggerated press release had associated news.
Fig 3.
Press release caveats, news uptake and caveats in news.
(A) News uptake for press releases (PRs) with and without caveats for explicit advice. (B) News uptake for PRs with and without caveats for causal claims. (C) Association between caveats for explicit advice in the PR and caveats for explicit advice in resulting news articles. (D) Association between caveats for causal claims in the PR and caveats for causal claims in resulting news articles. All error bars are bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals.
Fig 4.
Press release justifications, news uptake and justifications in news.
(A) News uptake for press releases (PRs) with and without justifications for explicit advice. (B) News uptake for PRs with and without justifications for statements of relationship. (C) Association between justifications for explicit advice in the PR and justifications for explicit advice in resulting news articles. (D) Association between justifications for statements of relationship in the PR and justifications for statements of relationship in resulting news articles. All error bars are bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals.