Apologies for the exegesis, but I would like to formally introduce this piece as what I hope is my first unambiguous abuse of my position as a “columnist”. I had an acquaintance – the partner of a cherished ex-girlfriend – die in tragic circumstances (not suicide, as it happens) and the details were pored over hideously and unnecessarily by the media for no reason other than prurience and a desire to make a spectacle of someone else’s pain. The media have made it quite clear that they cannot be trusted to report sensibly on coroners’ inquests, and so they have made it quite clear that they should be expelled from them. Read the rest of this entry »
Venal, misleading, pathetic, dangerous, stupid, and busted
Ben Goldacre
The Guardian
Saturday 21 March 2009
Science is not difficult to explain. Today we will see how British journalists go out of their way to cherry pick which evidence they cover, and then explain the risks and benefits in what has been shown to be the single most unhelpful way possible.
In praise of chaotic puerile disseminated investigative journalism
Here’s a video of the bloggers’ session at the totally excellent Convention On Modern Liberty a few weeks ago. My bit starts at 11min:10secs, and I speak in a crescendoingly impassioned manner in praise of chaotic puerile disseminated investigative journalism, this time in relation to the Dore “miracle cure for dyslexia” saga.
Scumbag
Ben Goldacre
The Guardian
14 March 2009
Like you, I’ve developed a sneaking respect for all the fun and interesting tricks a person can use to distort the scientific evidence, so Dr Scott S Reuben is a double scumbag: this week, in the biggest fraud case from recent medical history, he has been caught out, rather unimaginatively, just fabricating his data.
Christ I need a haircut
Here’s a fun piece I did with Nick Wallis for ITV London on Monday. Bad hair, ridiculous venue changes, and tiggerish over-excitablility aside, I think it’s actually quite good, and the wholesome outro at the end made me want to give Alastair Stewart a great big cuddle.
We’ve come across a sticky patch. We’re going to have to work through it, or get out and go our separate ways.
Ben Goldacre
The Guardian,
Saturday 7 March 2009
A truly groundbreaking document has been leaked onto the internet. The claim is that this 27-page wonder represents a successful $1.5m pitch to make a slight modification to the Pepsi logo. Welcome to the science of PR. Read the rest of this entry »
What should it say on the back of my book?
Briefly.
As you can imagine I’m a bit of a control freak about precision and dumbing down, Read the rest of this entry »
