Headlines and hype

This week's New Scientist has an article by Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge, about recent misreporting of his research in the media.

The Guardian article that he complains misreported his work is here.

And here is the British Psychology Society press release that generated the media coverage.

Reading all of these, I was struck by how in the New Scientist article Baron-Cohen clearly explained that the subjects in the study did not actually develop autism, but rather they showed some traits "not necessarily indicative of autism".

But the press release does not contain such an explanation. It refers to "autistic traits" throughout, without that important caveat / explanation of those traits. Reading the press release first, then the Guardian article, could a non-specialist actually be forgiven for thinking the Guardian article was largely accurate?

And the press release has the following quote from Baron-Cohen:

"It is important to note that this research does not demonstrate that elevated foetal testosterone is associated with a clinical diagnosis of autism or Asperger Syndrome; to do that would need a sample size of thousands, not hundreds. Our ongoing collaboration with the Biobank in Denmark will enable us to test that link in the future".

...so is it really wrong for the headline to say that "New research brings autism screening closer to reality"?

Baron-Cohen clears the BPS press officer (and presumably himself, as he must have seen and approved the press release) of contributing to the situation. But I'm afraid I don't see it quite like that; sure the media over-hyped the story (and then fed on itself), but the press release could perhaps have contained the same clear explanation of the study that Baron-Cohen gives in the New Scientist article. But then, of course, it might not have garnered any coverage ("New study links testosterone in the womb to traits that are not necessarily indicative of autism...").

Overall, a useful perspective from a scientist about media coverage of their work. But I can't help being vaguely reminded of an aphorism about glass houses and throwing stones.