does the government try to flood the media with research so that it can't be

[zippitippitoes]

reported properly

interesting|link{http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1747643,00.html\ slant on manipulation of the media}

\link{http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1747643,00.html\ here}

ok well can't someone find something to distract me with..

Lazy, innumerate journalists.

What they want is for some nice chap to explain what the figures mean. They want to be spun to, because it save them having to think.

A good chunk of government research is statistical, and often says quite the opposite in numbers of what most people think is going on. The stats for crime rates and numbers of immigrants for example, are at huge variance with the impression people havde got from the media.

They want a report saying "Crime in Wales is down by 3%".
They won't believe it of course, but they lack the education that allows them to look at a set of numbers and draw any conclusion from it at all.

Thus the response to such a survey is to read through the spun document on top of the survey and say "Burglaries up by 5%". That makes them feel tha they are objective and incisive, rather than fat lazy lunchounds.