The media exaggerate grades

During the last week, UKC has four times chosen to report higher grades than had been suggested. 1. Megos - Hubble 9a even if Megos compared it to an 8c+. 2. Schröter - 8B flash even if a half of the repeaters has given it 8A+ lately. 3. Barrows - The Wheel of Life 8C even if Alex said consensus was 8B+ 4. Honnold - The Complete Scream E8 even if they previously said it was E7 Some 15 years ago, 8a said that a grade inflation had started. It is natural for climbers and the media to take the higher grades as it creates better headlines. On the other side, it devalues ascents based on real grades. In general, it is on 8a where you first can read about a new lower grade which often becomes consensus in other media. Grades are the #1 criteria for the media when telling how important the ascent was and if we do not try to report correct grades, i.e. keep the low ones, the deflation will just continue. Another example of this unfavorable trend is when Rock & Ice said Mind Control was an 8c+ without mentioning that lately many thought it was an 8c.