FROG BLOG!
So, when there is a scare about harming human health, heads pop up and worries increase. People search for answers to find out if their affected and how they can prevent it. In the research about deformed frogs, the 
results do not say it SURELY has any links to human health concerns. John Graham only SUGGESTS it may. Now to arise concern, one must connect something like frog deformities to our own health hazards. If the article was published simply about the deformites found in frogs, the feedback would be much less with concerns.
"Instead we believe that the frog story, like the E. Coli story, may have achieved prominence because it fit into a master narative-a narrative of villains and victims, in which the innocent )whether children or frogs) are endangered by callous and greedy humans who pollute and endanger our heath and the environment's safety."
The truth is, we still seek the unusual and yes deformed frogs with 3 legs is unusual, but what strikes our attention is how it is affecting the human race. After the article, it does not even prove that we are affected, but a possibility.
I could easily say the rates of car accidents after 10 pm have decreased ever since the invention of Code Red Mountain Dew. Those two things are completely irrelevant in some eyes, but who knows how many millions of people drink the substance which caffenates their system allowing them to drive safer after 10 pm. It is only a theory which will attract attention which is the goal of a journalist.
PS: Who REALLY likes the froggggg?
Comments
Now I really do want to know if caffeinated drinks really have helped decrease the amount of late night car wrecks. Way to get me thinking about something seemingly silly, but still interesting. Personally, I think caffeine has helped many a times on long car rides, but then again, I could just be a sucker-consumer and it could just be all in my head. That's another interesting thought, after drinking an energy drink, even if the caffeine really has little to no effect on me, I still think it does, thus the drink is still effective. It would be interesting to do a study about that. Give ten people a well-known energy drink (Red Bull maybe) that's been "proven" to work and then give 10 people that same energy drink without the energy-boosting ingredients in it(without them knowing of course). Then ask the people how they feel after they drink it. I bet some of the people drinking the non-energized version would still report that they felt energized. If people did answer that way that would kind of prove the point in IANS that some self-reports may be unreliable. Ok, sorry for babbling on a bit.
P.S. The frog made me smile.
Posted by: EllenEinsporn | October 28, 2007 6:07 PM
Ellen- the placebo test for caffeine would work, I think. I'm a caffeine addict and would probably notice the difference physically (because, no matter how many times I try to trick myself, I cannot make myself believe the school's coffee has caffeine), but mentally I'm sure my actions would improve because I thought there was caffeine in the drink.
Tiffany- I love the blog! Excellent tactic- that cute frog would make me want to read whatever you were talking about! And you're right, it's all in how the information is presented. If the media choses to make a big deal out of 3 legged frogs or space aliens, then of course we're going to make a big deal about it too. But if the 3 legged frog or space alien story is tucked in a middle section, then it's just another fun factoid, not cause for alarm.
Posted by: Nessa | October 28, 2007 7:50 PM
Love the frog pic! Humans really get the brunt of everything, don't they? Are we affected? or Does the media report that we MAY be affected? I think they are trying to scare us, due to presenting isolated incidents, and making a big deal out of them.
Posted by: Jeremy Barrick | October 28, 2007 8:40 PM
I like frogs. not all of them, but someones are so cute !!
Posted by: clemy | December 27, 2007 3:22 PM