The study also found widespread failure of media outlets to cover important conflicts of interest, such as commentators receiving payments from the companies marketing the new tests. For example, 19 of 22 authors of a key trial examining the ability of the Apple Watch to detect atrial fibrillation disclosed taking grants or personal fees from Apple, yet this information was rarely reported in news stories. Moynihan said half the stories researchers examined quoted someone who had a financially relevant conflict of interest, but only 12% of stories disclosed that. “These are very worrying findings that suggest that the public is being given an over-optimistic picture about these tests,” he said.