Media drives grade inflation - Megos did not flash a 9a!

Alex Megos has said on Insta and to 8a that he thinks Underground is 8c+/9a or even 8c+. It is also listed as 8c+/9a on escalade9 and based on the 8a database, with 24 ascents, you understand that this impressive ascent should not be labeled only with the 9a grade. Anyhow the media says Megos flashed a 9a.

PlanetMountain reports that it was upgraded as C. Bindhammer, Hirayama and Mrazek thought it was either 8c+/9a or 9a. Strangely, in the 8a database, all these three climbers have recorded it as 8c+!

It should be mentioned that there exist several other examples when 8a report a lower grade in comparison to the other biggest climbing media. In other words, it is often the media who want to have the most impressive headlines that are driving grade inflation. Until some 15 years, 8a did often suggest downgrades in order to present more correct grades, which later always were confirmed. However, this stopped around 2005, as we got heavily criticised for it.