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Mississippi Today

A survey of surveys in Mississippi

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1 year ago

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Mississippians love candy corn, they want to buy Nintendo Switch consoles, they don’t get enough sleep, they’re unlikely to work remotely or try to quit smoking and they have the country’s eighth-most beautiful aquarium.

This is the age of the survey, and any reporter’s inbox especially around the holidays is likely overflowing with them.

Surveys and polls were once the domain of large companies that specialized in gathering such data from respondents. And the cost and effort involved — thousands of dollars and hours and hours of calling and collecting responses — limited the subject matter and made it easier to reduce inaccuracy or fraud.

But online platforms now allow most anyone to quickly and cheaply conduct an online survey, aggregate data — or fabricate it — and distribute it. These reports often include scant information on how data was collected, margins of error, or about the company or group conducting it.

Many surveys pushed out by marketing or public relations firms are repackaged data collected from the U.S. Census, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or various government agencies or bureaus.

October, according to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data, is the most dangerous time to drive in Mississippi. The most dangerous hours to drive are 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the safest between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Mississippi saw the eighth-highest increase in car crash fatalities from 2012-2021 — a 27.7% increase.

More than 1 in 10 Mississippians avoid visiting a doctor due to health care costs — we’re the fourth-worst state, according to CDC data gathered by Wealth of Geeks.

Mississippi has the seventh-shortest wait time in emergency rooms, an average of two hours and nine minutes — 28 minutes less than the national average.

Many surveys are simply rankings of online searches for a particular topic. For instance, a recent “survey” report said Mississippians are among the least likely to quit smoking, based on the number of online searches here on how to quit. Never mind we’re one of the least online connected states, according to another survey.

Another surmised that Mississippi has “the lowest interest in learning a new sport,” based on searches. It also reported the most popular new sport in the Magnolia State is pickleball.

Another said the states to which Mississippians most want to move are Texas, Florida and Tennessee, based on Google search data.

Some surveys sound highly questionable if not outright absurd on their face.

Mississippi, according to the Nature and Bloom online CBD store, is the second-most “CBD obsessed” state, behind Alabama.

Mississippi is the state suffering the least from pain, according to a survey from online kratom retailer Happy Go Leafly.

It’s the state getting the third-least amount of sleep, based on the number of online searches about melatonin.

Gulfport’s Mississippi Aquarium is the eighth-most beautiful in America, based on reviews from visitors that mention beauty. An aquarium in picturesque Detroit was crowned most beautiful.

Mississippians most wanted to buy a Nintendo Switch console for Black Friday and candy corn is their favorite Halloween candy, which is just wrong and gross.

Mississippi has long suffered slings and arrows from surveys and rankings on poverty, obesity, mortality, education — you name it. But in the survey age, there has been better news, whether accurate or dubious.

Mississippi is the best state in which to retire, followed by Alabama and Ohio, one survey reported. It has the lowest number of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes, according to one survey, and it’s the “fifth best state for gamers.”

But one should take note: A Pew Research study suggests opt-in online surveys have 4% to 7% “bogus respondents.” A recent survey of surveys, using a statistical testing method, found that 1 in 5 surveys tested showed a high likelihood of fabricated data.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

  • Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

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Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

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Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.

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