Wednesday, October 27, 2010
"By Reporting Bad Science As Fact, Biased Media Help Create Panics"
The U.S. media leaves a lot to be desired.
This writer agrees and explains why...
This writer agrees and explains why...
Henry I. Miller writes about it at Investors.com. He, a Stanford Fellow, certainly has the credentials:
"In spite of the FDA's finding of BPA's safety and the statement of deputy agency head Joshua Sharfstein that 'if we thought it was unsafe, we would be taking strong regulatory action,' these were drowned out in virtually every media report by the FDA's pronouncement that certain studies using 'novel' methods raised 'some concern' about BPA.
Many press accounts led with the FDA's announcement being a 'reversal' of previous positions, when the reality is that the FDA merely committed to looking more closely at studies that were inconclusive and plagued by 'substantial uncertainties.'
It's no secret that the media thrive on sensationalism and controversy, real or imagined. In the case of BPA, the media have abetted a campaign to stoke public fears while failing to provide a complete and balanced picture of how the science is evolving and how it shapes regulatory decisions."
