Sneaking a peak: a privilege the media must earn
‘…the media – of all people – are a class privileged over academia, doctors and the public when it comes to access…’
– Ben Goldacre
Ben Goldacre of the Guardian’s Bad Science column is calling time on the practice of giving journalists special access to news.
In this case an important study on cannabis has been released to key journalists ahead of its publication. Not even fellow academics or medical professionals can sneak a peak.
Given that health scares sell newspapers and that the ‘commercial commentariat have not earned their special status’ by reporting science stories dispassionately, Ben reckons this privilege should be withdrawn. Instead of making sure they properly inform their readers, the media are too likely to spin a research paper. By the time any misleading reports are uncovered, by an academic who finally gets a look at the research a week after the headlines, say, the world will have moved on.
Ben’s probably right. But it’s unlikely press officers will ever stop doing favours like this for journalists; it’s how they earn favours in return.
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