Category: Media

Rubber Ducky Rubbish, Swine Flu Hooey, and Mystery Man Boobs: Murky Media Coverage of H1N1, Phthalates and Other Possible Toxins

Bath toys, shampoos, air fresheners poison our children and cause diseases like autism. The H1N1 vaccine is more dangerous than the H1N1 virus itself. Boys exposed to too much pthalates will develop large breasts.   These are just some of the claims sussed out at STATS.org, that increasingly recognized organization devoted to setting the record straight on the erroneous facts …

Worse Science Writer of the Year: The Danger of Distinguished Writers Distorting Science

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof got slapped with “Worse Science Writer of the Year” by STATS, the non-profit, independent organization that takes scientific inaccuracy seriously.  Kristof is proof that bad science comes from good, even great journalists. I wrote about Kristof’s “Chemicals in Our Food, Our Bodies” – the column in which he scared parents silly with …

Celebrity Health Advice Sized Up on Slate: Jenny McCarthy Missed Autistic Red Flag?

Jenny McCarthy might have written several best-selling parenting books (Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism) but she’s no health expert and I highly doubt she’s cured her son or anyone else of autism.  But there are plenty of people who do believe her health claims (e.g., vaccines cause autism) despite evidence to …

Bruce Springstein Speaks for Autism Speaks: Who Speaks for Science?

Autism rocks. Bruce Springstein performed for the Fifth Annual Autism Speaks concert on November 17th at none other than Carnegie Hall.   So did Jerry Seinfeld.  No less than David Gregory of NBC News’ Meet the Press emceed the event.  If you’re impressed now, take a look at the committee for the fundraiser: Jamie Foxx, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey, …