Category Archives: News Media

Better a Teacher Than a Purveyor of ‘Insight’

Posted on October 30, 2012 by

Boris Kachka has an interesting retrospective on l’affaire Lehrer, “Proust Wasn’t a Neuroscientist. Neither was Jonah Lehrer.” This bit, as Lehrer pleaded with a journalist not to be outed, is pretty revealing (boldface mine): The next morning, a desperate Lehrer … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Education, News Media | 2 Comments

Attention Span, Context, and Science Journalism

Posted on October 6, 2012 by

While Eric Alterman is discussing global warming, I actually think his comments are more appropriate for medical reporting–all those studies breathlessly reporting some NEW FINDING! (boldface mine): Dr. François Gonon, a neurobiologist at the University of Bordeaux, together with his … Continue reading →

Posted in News Media

Why Did Fox News Rip Into Paul Ryan?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by

If you haven’t heard, Fox News published a piece by Sally Kohn, in which she had this to say about his GOP convention speech (boldface mine): On the other hand, to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, … Continue reading →

Posted in News Media, Propaganda | 13 Comments

Microbiome Creep, E. coli and Colorectal Cancer (Oh My!)

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

My recent snark-laden post about the microbiome was in part inspired by the coverage of this Science paper “Intestinal Inflammation Targets Cancer-Inducing Activity of the Microbiota.” Interestingly, the coverage of this paper didn’t make Jonathan Eisen happy either: Some studies … Continue reading →

Posted in E. coli, Microbiology, Microbiome, News Media | 3 Comments

On the Other Hand, At Least There Was No Self-Plagarism Involved

Posted on July 6, 2012 by

After all the fuss about l’affair Lehrer, the sequence of events that led to NY Times reporter Anthony Shadid’s death is horrifying (boldface mine): His death in Syria on February 16, 2012 sent shock waves through newsrooms around the country. … Continue reading →

Posted in News Media | 1 Comment

Some People Don’t Always Try to Maximize Personal Profit, and the NY Times’ Adam Davidson Is ON IT!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by

I dunno. Maybe Davidson couldn’t think of anything else to write before deadline. Or maybe his recent Times Magazine column illustrates the harmful, long-term ethical effects of an economics undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago. Either way, Davidson is … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Fucking Morons, News Media | 3 Comments

The Default Setting for Our Political Press Corps(e) Is Stupid: The Matt Miller Edition

Posted on May 20, 2012 by

Economist Dean Baker recalls a discussion about Social Security and cost-of-living increases with The Washington Post’s Matt Miller (boldface mine): I will always have fond memories of Matt Miller as the one person who left me completely speechless in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, News Media, Social Security

Obama’s Early History: It Would Have Been Useful If It Had Been Covered During the 2008 Campaign

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

As the presidential silly season kicks into high gear, it’s worth remembering that the political press corps, in all likelihood, will fail to shed light on how the candidates will govern. There will be lots of fixation on the wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Democrats, News Media, Romney | 4 Comments

Technobrat Pundit Follies: The Antibiotic Resistance Edition

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

I don’t know Ezra Klein of The Washington Post personally, but he strikes me as a very earnest, smart person, albeit one who is an omniscient gentleman in training (or else hopelessly credulous). So I don’t bear the man any … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, News Media | 2 Comments

Are Scientists Really That Disengaged?

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

A post at Jezebel, decrying the lack of engagement by scientists on the global warming front, has been making the rounds on the internets. Here’s the key beef (boldface mine): Here’s the problem: Americans know next to nothing about science, … Continue reading →

Posted in News Media | 3 Comments