#2304: Preprint

[Blondie as a newscaster is sitting at a desk. To the right is a screen with text, the bottom word is a thin line making the letters white. Just above her head is what she says as her opening line for her news story. But above this text, is more text which have been grayed out and scribbled over. This are three other alternative opening lines which she did not use, indicating revisions to her script.]

Blondie [gray and scribbled out]: According to a new preprint…

Blondie [gray and scribbled out]: …An unpublished study…

Blondie [gray and scribbled out]: According to a new paper uploaded to a preprint server but which has not undergone peer review…

Blondie: According to a new PDF…

Inset graphic: Breaking news

[Beneath the panel is a long caption consisting of an underlined headline with three bulleted points beneath it:]

Benefits of just saying “a PDF”:

Avoids implications about publication status
Immediately raises questions about author(s)
Still implies “this document was probably prepared by a professional, because no normal human trying to communicate in 2020 would choose this ridiculous format.”