Medical Reports in Mainstream Media

* “Overdose of Optimism” by David Shaw (Feb. 13-14) is an excellent two-part story on science reporting. Coverage of medical breakthroughs from basic research articles published in Science and Nature is misleading precisely (and I am excluding here medical journals) because the research was not intended as cure for a disease, yet authors include a ceremonial kowtow to future medical breakthroughs. The headlines, unfortunately, are all about this routine justification of research and the reports are full of “maybe” and “if” and “could.” The unaware consumer cannot read the boring reality out of this: just hype.

Responsible journalists would report on follow-ups. But this would indeed require the time and money to attend meetings and seminars at local universities and call those scientists or publishers a year later.

The lack of criticism (of scientists about their own work by not publishing negative results) is a real problem when it comes to news coverage outside the scientific community. But this cannot be the job of scientists themselves, for their self-interest prohibits critical thinking, money bends judgment and a college degree does not ensure moral impunity. They already have peer review, grant review, postdoctoral, two-year survival boot camps and tenure-track programs. It’s called publish or perish. It appears to me that a critical look at the scientific-industrial complex is part of the media’s responsibility. I often don’t even see the reason why the media report about some scientific articles, other than for being first in reporting something sensational.

LUKAS K. BUEHLER PhD

Lecturer, Biology

UC San Diego

* Unfortunately there is a far more egregious agenda behind the glorification of the medical industry by the media. In a word, the advertising buck, through TV commercials, radio spots and newspaper ads. The equivalent of 100,000 newspapers would need to be sold to match the money made by a one-page ad bought by a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical corporation.

The medical industry manipulates the media as a promotional forum for its own greed through its advertising budget, and the media cooperatively participate in this fraud by providing premature front-page headlines, in disregard for the consequences, as described by your articles.

MITCH BROWN

Silverado