I just read this by Simon Jenkins.
He’s criticising the media’s lust for making mountains out of molehills, referring specifically to the recent Swine Flu outbreak.
Fair enough criticising sensationalist, profit-pandering journalism. I couldn’t agree more. Most of the time. The jury’s still out on swine flu though. As Goldacre says, “the world doesn’t need another arbitrary pundit to say ‘it’s a bit of a risk, yes’”.
But why does Jenkins direct his criticism at Ben Goldacre? I find the blog Bad Science to be a pillar of enlightened ‘new media’ in a sea of waffle and political back-handery. Ben routinely and tirelessly cuts through the Trollope. You’ve only got to spend a few minute perusing his blog to appreciate this.
Simon Jenkins criticising him is a little like saying:
The US has gone AWOL, just look at that Obama fella…
or,
TV has gone down the drain, just watch The Wire…
All a bit weird.
Jenkins, please launch your hyperlinks at the right targets…
“No limit to the hysteria that scientists and their allies are able to generate round a health scare….”.
And that is just plain wrong. It is very media you thought you were criticising that generate hysteria, not the scientists.
