Sensationalism in the media: when scientists and journalists may be complicit collaborators.

Sensationalism in medical reporting occurs when extravagant claims or interpretations about research findings are made. Sensationalism in medical reporting has been discussed extensively,1–9 and a few years ago one author predicted that “the tensions are likely to increase.”1 The conventional explanation for the problem is “miscommunication” resulting from the different styles of science and journalism, and the principal intervention proposed is “education.”2, 3, 10, 11 While different styles of communication may contribute to inaccurate science journalism, we believe that subtle incentives sometimes cause scientists, journalists, and others involved in the reporting of science to contribute to sensationalism. Regardless of its specific causes, sensationalism may prevent the public from being knowledgeable participants in policy discussions about scientific issues. In this Policy Matters, we review the problem, causes, and possible solutions.