Media Reviews
EHS scientists and fellows critique media coverage.
Atrazine, birth defects story lacks science, sources and so much more.
The lack of scientific information in a Daily Mail article undermines the credibility of a possible link between a cluster of birth defects and the widely used herbicide atrazine. Readers will find it hard to understand the issue based on the incomplete coverage.
Key research missed in article on little known flame retardants.
A story in the Windsor Star is one of the first to cover a new type of flame retardant that has contaminated the air of U.S. cities and remote areas of the world. The story, though, doesn't mention research that shows these chemicals already have accumulated in mammals and household dust.
The rise of chemophobia in the news?
If we, as journalists, are going to demand meticulous standards for the study and oversight of chemical compounds then we should try to be meticulous ourselves in making the case. And I don’t see enough of that in Kristof’s chemical columns. We need to do a much better job as journalists in communicating risk. Deborah Blum, Knight Science Journalism Tracker.
Commendable coverage of new autism statistics and current research.
Newly released statistics show that one in 88 children has autism. An article in the San Antonio Current candidly explains the numbers without overstating conclusions and places them in context of current contributing factors.
Pants on fire: The Chicago Tribune looks at flame retardants.
The Chicago Tribune launched its four-part series on the science and pseudoscience of flame retardants on Sunday and it’s a superb example of investigative science journalism. Deborah Blum, Knight Science Journalism Tracker.
Science and truth: We’re all in it together.
Almost any article worth reading these days generates some version of long tail commentary online. Depending on whether they are moderated, these comments can range from blistering flameouts to smart factual corrections. So how should journalists and scientists handle this running commentary? Jack Hitt, New York Times.
High-fructose corn syrup and autism: The paper’s authors respond.
In the wake of Grist.org's original report on a paper exploring a possible link between high-fructose corn syrup and autism, and the ensuing criticism, the authors of the paper asked for a chance to respond. Grist has now published the response by Renee Dufault and David Wallinga, M.D., and then a reply from science writer Emily Willingham, one of the critics of the report. Scott Rosenberg, Grist.
Time to stop worrying and learn to love industrial agriculture?
Like a good buffet, Nature's recent analysis comparing productivity of industrial and organic agriculture offered something for every taste. It was interesting to see how this played around the web. Time's Bryan Walsh, who has been a critic of Big Food, saw the study as the occasion to stop worrying and learn to love industrial agriculture—or at least marvel at its efficiency. Tom Philpott, Mother Jones.
5 ways Grist turned critics into fans after publishing controversial autism story.
A study that suggests a link between food and autism is bound to kick up controversy. It’s no surprise, then, that environmental news website Grist found itself facing strong, informed criticism after it published an article about a recent scientific paper that suggested a link between high-fructose corn syrup and autism. Craig Silverman, Poynter Institute.
Book review: Steve Coll's 'Private Empire.'
Did Exxon pervert the debate on climate change? Yes, successfully. Does Exxon involve itself with distasteful governments? Yes, with Uncle Sam's collusion. Does Exxon mint money? Yes, it is the most successful corporation in history. But I am nagged by the question of why: Could it be that we need Exxon as much as it needs us? David Biello, Foreign Policy.
Journalists urged to report on climate change with passion, compassion.
Researchers, editors and communications experts have advised journalists attending a workshop in Bangkok to report on climate change issues with passion and compassion. “Journalists are missionaries of communication. We have to have that passion to communicate,” said Kunda Dixit, editor and publisher of the Nepali Times. Dixit said Asian and Southeast Asian journalists must write powerful stories about climate change because the region is feeling the brunt of its impact. Bong D. Fabe, Business Mirror.
Reporter tackles complicated issues in food safety regulations.
A Washington Post article nicely frames the important issues surrounding the FDA's regulation of chemicals from plastic packaging that contaminate food.
Book Review: 'Detroit: A Biography' gives life story of a gritty city.
Detroit, more so than perhaps any other American city, embodies one distinct side of contemporary America: Blue collar union-fueled prosperity long since fallen into decrepitude, decay, and broken dreams. In other words, it's an easy target for romanticization. In "Detroit: A Biography," journalist Scott Martelle manages deftly to depict Detroit rising as a microcosm of the country during its industrial heyday as well as Detroit fading on the same terms. He's crafted an account of a once great American city that manages to be both compelling and highly informative. By Benjamin Taylor, bookslut.com
NYT Obscures Wal-Mart, EDF Link.
A recent New York Times article about the Environmental Defense Fund’s efforts to help Wal-Mart “cut waste” painted an incomplete picture of the group’s relationship with the retail giant, offering an instructive lesson in “green business” coverage in the process. What the article didn’t mention is that the Walton Family Foundation gave the EDF almost $39.5 million - and the funding ramped up around the time Wal-Mart launched its sustainability initiative. The Walton family, which created Wal-Mart, still owns a majority stake in the corporation. By Curtis Brainard, Columbia Journalism Review
Science denial in the 21st century.
The arc of science has faced roadblocks for centuries, but the pattern of denying the weight of evidence has taken on new virulence recently. Highly motivated people openly cast doubt on well-established evidence — the theory of evolution, the human effects on climate change, the value of vaccines and other findings that have achieved an overwhelming consensus in the scientific community. By Nathan Seppa, Science News
Climate change is a fact.
If journalism can't help save the world, then why in the world should the world care about saving journalism - at least this kind of journalism? Print the headline. Run the screen. Declare the fact. CLIMATE CHANGE IS A FACT. Make it crystal clear and correct the record, so journalism can start contributing to and covering the conversation about coping and adapting, instead of perpetuating and profiting from the constant dialogue of denial. From Huffington Post
Book Review: 'Run to Failure' doesn't fail to spill BP's past
Run to Failure is a worthy book penned by ProPublica reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, whose dogged journalism on fracking and mining issues has earned a good name and a George Polk Award for himself. Instead of focusing on the oft-told failures in the Gulf of Mexico, the author reconstructs the history of why such a spill happened to BP.
Article underestimates the potency of nitrous oxide.
A news story in the Summit County Citizen's Voice undervalues the potency of nitrous oxide as a greenhouse gas while explaining its link to fertilizers.
LA Times overlooks major suspect in Bee Colony Collapse Disorder
In an article about the importance of pollination for California's almond crop, reporter Marc Lifsher mentions several possible causes of Bee Colony Collapse Disorder but skips one that is getting increasing scientific scrutiny: A family of pesticides called neonicotinoids.
Uneven effort to simplify science.
The Montreal Gazette prints 20 key points to help the public interpret chemical science but a scientist specializing in green chemistry explains why not all of them hit the mark.
