Well, my article may be good or bad - that is pretty irrelevant to the wider sci-com community. What does matter is whether the research findings cited in there are true and accurate, and if so, what that means for the science communication and public interest in Britain, and beyond. Don't shoot the messenger, Bob. Mićo Tatalović, BA (Oxon), MPhil (Cantab), MSc & DIC (Imperial) http://twitter.com/mtatalovic Balkan Science Beat Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 10:22:00 +0000 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] UK's Science Media Centre lambasted for pushing corporate science To: [log in to unmask] Well Mico, I think the comments from Lawrence McGinty rather substantiate my criticisms of your article. But you are right, I think psci-com members should critically evaluate your article themselves and reach their own conclusions. Bob Ward Policy and Communications Director Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London UK WC2A 2AE Tel. +44 (0) 20 7107 5413 Mob. +44 (0) 7811 320346 Web: http://www.lse.ac.uk/grantham Twitter: @ret_ward From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mico Tatalovic Sent: 21 May 2014 10:52 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] UK's Science Media Centre lambasted for pushing corporate science Worth also pointing out that those criticisms came mainly from Bob Ward and were largely off-target and disinformative. Best to let others form their own opinions and debate freely, Bob, instead of telling them what not to read about the organization whose advisory board you're sitting on. Mićo Tatalović, BA (Oxon), MPhil (Cantab), MSc & DIC (Imperial) http://twitter.com/mtatalovic Balkan Science Beat Date: Wed, 21 May 2014 08:35:28 +0000 From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] UK's Science Media Centre lambasted for pushing corporate science To: [log in to unmask] As a member of the advisory board of the SMC, I should point out that this article has also been heavily criticised elsewhere for containing a number of flaws, not the least of which is that the author did not speak to any journalists who actually use the SMC ie the science correspondents of the UK national media. I completely reject the allegation that the SMC is pushing a 'corporate science' agenda. The staff of the SMC report to its trustees and its advisory board, which includes a number of senior journalists, so the idea that we are all complicit in a 'corporate PR' strategy is rather ridiculous. The overwhelming majority of scientists who use the SMC are university researchers, not companies. Equally ridiculous are the feeble examples cited as supposed proof in this article. For instance, it includes criticism of the SMC because it could not find any scientist who would offer a quote in support of an anti-GM paper. The paper had obvious flaws and was eventually retracted by the journal that published it. There is a value in debating the contribution of SMCs to the communication of science, but this article provides a poor basis for such a discussion. Bob Ward Policy and Communications Director Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London UK WC2A 2AE Tel. +44 (0) 20 7107 5413 Mob. +44 (0) 7811 320346 Web: http://www.lse.ac.uk/grantham Twitter: @ret_ward From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mico Tatalovic Sent: 20 May 2014 22:53 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [PSCI-COM] UK's Science Media Centre lambasted for pushing corporate science This article has inspired an interesting debate on the values and worth of the Science Media Centre to science journalism: is it also relevant to the wider the scicom community? Academics call for more critical journalism and public interest in science media centres. http://www.scidev.net/global/journalism/feature/uk-s-science-media-centre-lambasted-for-pushing-corporate-science.html Mićo Tatalović, BA (Oxon), MPhil (Cantab), MSc & DIC (Imperial) http://twitter.com/mtatalovic Balkan Science Beat ********************************************************************** Commands - send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets) . set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) . set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages) . signoff psci-com (to leave the list) . Subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print ********************************************************************** Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://lse.ac.uk/emailDisclaimer ********************************************************************** Commands - send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets) . set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) . set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages) . signoff psci-com (to leave the list) . Subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** Commands - send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets) . set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) . set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages) . signoff psci-com (to leave the list) . Subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print ********************************************************************** Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://lse.ac.uk/emailDisclaimer ********************************************************************** Commands - send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets) . set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) . set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages) . signoff psci-com (to leave the list) . Subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** Commands - send an email (any subject) to [log in to unmask] with one of the following messages (ignoring text in brackets) • set psci-com nomail (to stop receiving messages while on holiday) • set psci-com mail (to resume getting messages) • signoff psci-com (to leave the list) • Subscribe here https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=psci-com Contact list owner at [log in to unmask] Small print and JISCMail acceptable use policy https://sites.google.com/site/pscicomjiscmail/the-small-print **********************************************************************