Science Media Centre goes for junk food?

Seems that SMC doesn't mind using experts with competing interests?

https://www.theguardian.com/science...ng-ultra-processed-foods-linked-to-food-firms

 

They bought the flavor-aid years ago. You can't return the flavor-aid.

If there's one thing we've seen in recent years, and sadly it's just as true in academia, it's that admitting a mistake is worse than a lifetime of failures. Only then there are consequences, so the lesson is to just never admit to anything and DARVO: I'm the real victim, my victims are bullies, wah-wah.

So of course that's why the worst people rise to the top, because good people can't do that without hating themselves.

 

Row over ultra-processed foods panel highlights conflicts of interest issue at heart of UK science reporting

https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj.p2514.full?ijkey=kUPwDIWXKvwww&keytype=ref&siteid=bmjjournals

 

Thank you @Andy for posting about this.

Interesting that Fiona Fox says on the one hand ‘staff are always open to debating our approach’ and then immediately follows it with an attempt to shut down any and all debate on this issue. Her rejection of the criticism also skirts any response to the substance of that criticism, just asserting ‘we are credible and no one cares about conflicts of interest’.

 

The SMC’s past coverage of ME/CFS, though recently more balanced, for years promoted only researchers with a narrow partisan approach to research and actively sought to protect those scientists from valid methodological criticisms, even participating in the active vilification of an entire patient community. Indeed it seems that they even promoted the use of such vilification in their media training for scientists.

Without knowing all the details of the processed food debate, it would not surprise me if the SMC over relied on a narrow cross section of ‘experts’ who also happen to be friends of their friends (or sponsors). This may not be a deliberate attempt at falsification rather an over reliance on an old boys network especially if that overlaps with personal ideologies.