Crying wolf: When media reports distort research evidence

As a researcher who has spent a considerable period investigating the risks of injury 1 2 in rugby, and setting up and evaluating injury prevention programmes designed to mitigate the risks 3, I read the BBC media report of July 4, 2010 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10501327) quoting Professor Allyson Pollock that ‘high tackles and scrums should be banned […]

Read More…

Caffeine/Sleeping pills in sport captures national media attention in Australia

On July 5th, a prominent Australian Rules football player suffered an ‘adverse reaction’ to sleeping pills after a game. Drug testing confirmed that the player had not taken any banned drugs and there was no suggestion of that. The media ran stories of players being on a cycle of caffeine ‘uppers’ followed by sleeping pill […]

Read More…