This week’s readings show examples of common bogus trend stories published by newspapers. For example, an increase in teen prostitution and more evangelicals attending church as a result of the bad economy.
Reporting bogus trends makes the journalist, the editor and the organization look ridiculous. These are stories that confuse correlation with causation or that simply use unreliable statistics or information to support a misleading trend. Sometimes anecdotes are used as supporting evidence.
I think that all organizations should mandate training courses that teach journalists how to spot and avoid bogus trends. It is our job as journalists to report only the truth. These stories are misleading and unethical. They are too subjective.
Here is my proposal of guidelines journalists should follow when analyzing the validity of trends:
-Do not write a trend story unless you have concrete facts or evidence from official sources to support it.
-Do not publish a trend story if it contains the word “seems” more than two times.
-Do not write a trend story if you feel you have to make an effort to prove it.
-Do not publish a trend story if it does not support the lede.
-Do not write a trend story unless you have discussed it with at least two other people.
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