A survey on gullibility in Australia

[sylas]

This is brilliant. A new TV show in Australia sent out a press release about a new study which measured the relative gullibility of people in different Australian cities. The big question... how many of the news outlets checked the story?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMQCcOSfaYw

 

[Borg]

You mean that everything that I read isn't true?

 

[chayced]

Not surprising really. I find it amazing how many news stories don't pass a simple sniff test. Reporters are not scientists, engineers, or other technical professionals, but they are supposed to be fact checkers. The real travesty is when news agencies publish something damning about someone or something without checking facts and then ignore it when what they reported is proven false. If I hear another report damning a basic food staple for being horribly unhealthy I think I'll smash my TV.

 

[pallidin]

Not surprising really. I find it amazing how many news stories don't pass a simple sniff test. Reporters are not scientists, engineers, or other technical professionals, but they are supposed to be fact checkers. The real travesty is when news agencies publish something damning about someone or something without checking facts and then ignore it when what they reported is proven false. If I hear another report damning a basic food staple for being horribly unhealthy I think I'll smash my TV.

Yeah I hear that! I did smash my TV. I almost exclusively use the Internet for all my info, thus I can quickly use Google to cross check supposed "facts".

 

[russ_watters]

This is brilliant.

It really is. Great find.

 

[JaWiB]

Yeah I hear that! I did smash my TV. I almost exclusively use the Internet for all my info, thus I can quickly use Google to cross check supposed "facts".

+1. TV News is more entertainment than actual information.

 

[Pengwuino]

I think the most hilarious thing is when i think about how much people argue over politics. People nearly have heart attacks sometimes arguing over some nonsense and who knows if their nonsense is a hoax or not. I've heard so many people talk about "a new study" or "a new report" detailing 'such and such blah blah blah' and how it sooooo proves their point and how they just go insane in such discussions. I think its hilarious how it could be so easy to put some BS out their and have people lose a lung over it.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Has anyone here checked ths sources on this story?

 

[Pengwuino]

Has anyone here checked ths sources on this story?

It's youtube. If we can't trust what we see on youtube...

 

[HallsofIvy]

Has anyone here checked ths sources on this story?

My thought exactly! How do we know this isn't a hoax?

In fact, how do we know that "Physics Forums" isn't a hoax? Maybe Greg Bernhardt is making up all those dumb questions himself!

 

[sylas]

My thought exactly! How do we know this isn't a hoax?

In fact, how do we know that "Physics Forums" isn't a hoax? Maybe Greg Bernhardt is making up all those dumb questions himself!

If you can believe me... there actually was a reverse-hoax when they were making this story. One member of the "Hungry Beast" team that made this show and set up the sting subsequently pretended to be a reporter who saw through the hoax, and called up his fellow conspirators. They eventually smelled a rat, and he was was found out. All this occurred as they were putting the show together. See http://hungrybeast.abc.net.au/stories/testing-testers .

Or maybe this is the hoax. I'm so confused.