Complaint
A reader of the item, which reported the results of research commissioned by the Royal Geographical Society, complained that it had given the misleading impression that the research showed a link between relative happiness and location
Outcome
The research had been released to the media in terms which fostered that impression, and the item reflected it. However, notes accompanying the media release made clear that the differences observed were attributable to socio-demographic factors rather than location. In the light of points previously made by the complainant, the Editor of the relevant webpages had added a paragraph to the item, but this was not sufficient to correct the misleading impression.
Further action
The News website has updated the story to give more information about the survey method and the size of the sample and to make clear that geographical location was not a significant factor in the research findings. The story also now stresses that the researchers acknowledge this but nonetheless feel there is academic value in their work. Journalists will be reminded that when reporting stories based on statistical research they take care to verify the status of that research, making its provenance clear in the article where appropriate.
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