Inaccurate sensationalized headlines

[common_sense_guy]

This is the exact headline on castanet of a story written by Jayden Wasney.
"808 deathsfrom Heatwave." "According to the B.C. Coroners, the number of deaths from the recent heat wave is up to 808"
And then three paragraphs later jayden writer this...
"Officials are still determining exactly how many of the 808 deaths were directly related to heat, but the average number of deaths reported during the same period over the previous five years was 198.
So the attention-grabbing headline 808 die from the heat wave isn't really 808 . We're still trying to figure that out but hey let's run with that number as that's how many died. Come on.
Does anybody else notice things like this all the time and are bothered by inaccurate headlines or stories.

[oneh2obabe]

Link to story https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#340284

Could be the person writing the article didn't do well in math while attending school.

[GordonH]

This is the exact headline on castanet of a story written by Jayden Wasney.
"808 deathsfrom Heatwave." "According to the B.C. Coroners, the number of deaths from the recent heat wave is up to 808"
And then three paragraphs later jayden writer this...
"Officials are still determining exactly how many of the 808 deaths were directly related to heat, but the average number of deaths reported during the same period over the previous five years was 198.
So the attention-grabbing headline 808 die from the heat wave isn't really 808 . We're still trying to figure that out but hey let's run with that number as that's how many died. Come on.
Does anybody else notice things like this all the time and are bothered by inaccurate headlines or stories.

Over those last 5 years did our temperature reach the record highs the province just experienced, no it hasn’t.
198 is average heat related deaths over last 5 years.

[Smurf]

common_sense_guy » wrote:

This is the exact headline on castanet of a story written by Jayden Wasney.
"808 deathsfrom Heatwave." "According to the B.C. Coroners, the number of deaths from the recent heat wave is up to 808"
And then three paragraphs later jayden writer this...
"Officials are still determining exactly how many of the 808 deaths were directly related to heat, but the average number of deaths reported during the same period over the previous five years was 198.
So the attention-grabbing headline 808 die from the heat wave isn't really 808 . We're still trying to figure that out but hey let's run with that number as that's how many died. Come on.
Does anybody else notice things like this all the time and are bothered by inaccurate headlines or stories.

I noticed that too, but just shook my head. There is so much of that in todays news media that I basically take a lot of what they say with a grain of salt. Seems like they are not looking to tell the truth, facts, but to see who can outdo the other. A lot of times I think they are trying to get people wound up about something and they are definitely succeeding. One of the worst ones I have seen was the "mass graves at the residential schools". And people actually believed it. It makes one think they should not be allowed to write or announce the news.

[Bsuds]

It's all Clickbait and they don't care about accuracy just how to get people to click on it.

The more people who click on the story the more they charge their advertisers.

[common_sense_guy]

I emailed Jayden asking for an answer as to why the story was written like that. Curious to see what the answer if any.
In a small way it makes me feel like I'm trying to keep them accountable when I complain LOL probably doesn't do anything

[foenix]

This is the exact headline on castanet of a story written by Jayden Wasney.
"808 deathsfrom Heatwave." "According to the B.C. Coroners, the number of deaths from the recent heat wave is up to 808"
And then three paragraphs later jayden writer this...
"Officials are still determining exactly how many of the 808 deaths were directly related to heat, but the average number of deaths reported during the same period over the previous five years was 198.
So the attention-grabbing headline 808 die from the heat wave isn't really 808 . We're still trying to figure that out but hey let's run with that number as that's how many died. Come on.
Does anybody else notice things like this all the time and are bothered by inaccurate headlines or stories.

Perhaps he didnt write it.........

https://www.660citynews.com/2021/07/16/ ... ve-deaths/

[WESTman]

It's all Clickbait and they don't care about accuracy just how to get people to click on it.

The more people who click on the story the more they charge their advertisers.

Sounds a lot like what's been going on the past year and bit with that other story......

[foenix]

It's all Clickbait and they don't care about accuracy just how to get people to click on it.

The more people who click on the story the more they charge their advertisers.

Sounds a lot like what's been going on the past year and bit with that other story......

......except that one has 4.08 million deaths and still counting........

[my5cents]

Thank you for starting this topic, common. I have been thinking the same since the government started this new way of counting.

Gordon H – The numbers “808” and “198” have been bantered around. But what do they represent ?
The general spiel from the media is: “Officials have yet to confirm exactly how many of the 808 deaths were directly related to heat, but the average number of deaths reported during the same period over the previous five years was 198.”

Notice they DON’T say the 198 died from the heat, just that the average number of deaths for the same period is “198”. We don't know if that for the 25th week of those 5 years, or what.

Now the average for five years is 198, the number of drug overdoes deaths has skyrocketed for the last few years. That doesn’t mean we had 198 deaths in each year and now it’s gone up to 808. In the last five years did we have ? : , 35, 45, 75, 120, and 715 respectively (an average of 198) [ yes I fudged the numbers for greater effect]

So, even if we accept there wasn’t a large increase in the later of the 5 year period, doesn’t that mean that there is an increase this year of 610 ?,, not 808. ie there were 808 deaths this period and the average was 198, so isn’t the increase of 808-198 = 610 ?

Gee I’ve already cut the deaths by 200, and I just got started.

This is the way large entities create stats -
An example,,,, I saw an ICBC stat.
X % of drinkers are males 24 – 35 years old
X % of drivers, driving between the hours of 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM are intoxicated
In [year] 1500 males between 24 – 25 were involved in collision claims between the hours of 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM. Thus X % of these males were impaired when involved in the collisions.

Maybe we need a new word, and estistat (estimate/statistic)

A saying was popularized by Mark Twain, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics”. We also have to put up with the “learned” media who then interpret the government statistic that are at best guestimates or “estistats”.

If I’m the government and I give out this malarkey and I see it is then misinterpreted to make the false numbers even worse, so much the better, I’m going make noise like a clam.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/568 ... ia-canada/

Here’s an interesting stat – the average number of deaths per week in BC:

2015-16: 684
2016-17: 737
2017-18: 733
2018-19: 739
2019-20: 748
Five year average per week - 728

Leaves us to wonder where the "198" average came from.

[techrtr]

Well, that's typical of the media these days. Pretty much all the reporting about the "graves" found at residential schools has been one sided, sensationalist malarkey with no hard facts to back it up. Main stream media is becoming more and more like the "National Enquirer" every day.

[common_sense_guy]

This is the exact headline on castanet of a story written by Jayden Wasney.
"808 deathsfrom Heatwave." "According to the B.C. Coroners, the number of deaths from the recent heat wave is up to 808"
And then three paragraphs later jayden writer this...
"Officials are still determining exactly how many of the 808 deaths were directly related to heat, but the average number of deaths reported during the same period over the previous five years was 198.
So the attention-grabbing headline 808 die from the heat wave isn't really 808 . We're still trying to figure that out but hey let's run with that number as that's how many died. Come on.
Does anybody else notice things like this all the time and are bothered by inaccurate headlines or stories.

Perhaps he didnt write it.........

https://www.660citynews.com/2021/07/16/ ... ve-deaths/

At least the headline that you referred to was accurate. That's my issue with news stories. Quite the difference in the headline Jayden wrote and then contradicted paragraphs later.. this is not what journalism has ever been before or ever should be

[common_sense_guy]

Looks like I'm not alone and I appreciate it. Couple really good posts also in here

[nucksRnum1]

I am amazed that those who rail against news and media can say media and news is all lies with a straight face. Especially when most Conseratives get their news from the likes of Ezra or Alex Jones or Tucker Carlson or even more loonie sources on the now defunked Parlor. People were so revved up by under ground sites that they attacked the White House. Or tried to drive over gates to get Trudeau who wasn't even home. Fortunately the guy was white. He was talked down rather than pumped full of lead. One thing that comes from this is the free entertainment about jewish laser satelites or leftist cabals who traffic children.

[zookeeper]

The coroners are recording a high volume of sudden deaths for that week, while the 5 year average of sudden deaths in that particular week was 198. Not deaths from all causes, sudden deaths being attributed to the heat.