Stories or data – which approach gets the publicity?

Tim Harford in his latest episode of ‘Cautionary tales’ illustrates the impact of news stories which gave the impression that trick and treat in the United States is fraught with danger due to people deliberately trying to poison children with the reality revealed by analysis of the data – which is that such danger does not exist.   

 

The problem Tim Harford suggests is that people remember the story not the data.  This raises a significant problem in that while a story may attract attention and influence opinion it is frequently giving the wrong impression.   This issue is exacerbated by politicians and the media who like a ‘good story’ rather than examining the evidence.  Soundbites carry more weight than reasoned arguments.  This unfortunately distorts discussions and debates undermining the development of practical and relevant policies.

 

Source

 BBC sounds, (17th October 2025), The Halloween Poisoner, Cautionary tales with Tim Harford.