{
  "id": 3905169,
  "title": "Story-telling animals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/story-telling-animals",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-28T06:00:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Klement on Investing",
    "slug": "klement-on-investing",
    "url": "https://klementoninvesting.substack.com/p/story-telling-animals"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Picture this scenario: you own shares in company A. Suddenly, an analyst boosts the price target for company A. Later, however, it's revealed the analyst was actually talking about company B. Does this sway your perception of company A? Now, imagine a twist: the analyst mentions positive aspects of company A, highlighting their strong leadership team and long-term focus. Even after discovering this comment was about company B, your view of company A remains positively influenced.\n\nThe takeaway from a recent experiment is clear: humans are inherently storytellers. We struggle to retain numerical data and are more likely to ignore it if it conflicts with a compelling narrative. However, when presented with a story about a company, we find it challenging to dismiss, even when informed that the narrative is false. This is the downside of misinformation, especially on social media. Such stories often seem credible, and even when presented with evidence disproving the story's validity, belief persists. Once a false narrative is seeded, it can be challenging to undo its impact on people. The damage is done the moment misinformation is introduced.",
  "summary": "Suppose you are invested in the stock of company A.",
  "key_points": [
    "Humans are inherently storytellers, struggling to retain numerical data",
    "Narratives influence perception of companies, even when false",
    "Misinformation persists despite evidence, impacting belief and credibility"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}