Richard Virenque’s performance during stage 12 of the 1997 Tour de France is a striking example of placebos’ effects on our physical performance. He asked his physiotherapist, Willy Voet, to inject him with a miracle drug that could give him an edge over his rival, Jan Ullrich. Indeed, Virenque went toe-to-toe with Ullrich, coming behind him by only 3 minutes. But unbeknownst to him, Voet swapped out the miracle drug with a glucose solution at the last minute; there was nothing but sugar in it. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
