cynicalbastard

Journalism is so easy these days. A pressure group comes along, makes a few mocking noises about someone or something, and it gets coverage as news. Hence ‘Sense about Science’. All over the press this morning (here, the TOday programme, here, T’Grauniad), mocking celebrities for their lack of knowledge about science.

Now, this is probably all very good. Though I can’t help thinking that anyone who follows Chris deBurgh’s advice on spiritual healing or ‘Dr’ Gillian McKeith’s on nutrition deserves all they get. But then I started to wonder. Why criticise celebrities who simply want not to eat too may pesticides?

Well, how about because your lobby group is funded by agri-chemical industries? Or biotech industries? Or is connected to the somewhat odd Living Marxism cult? Contrary to the news reports, ‘Sense about Science’ isn’t an objective pressure group. It’s virulently pro-GM, and the current reports seem to be part its long-standing campaign to deride opposition to GM-trials as ‘anti-scientific’.

Oddly, however, the BBC has frequently chosen to work closely with the pressure group (stories here and here) without explaining its actual beliefs and role. So let’s list those funders (inter alia) once again–

Amersham Biosciences
BP
GlaxoSmithKline
AstarZeneca
Pfizer

And remember people, you can never believe a word you hear or see on the meejah.