>>The previous slurs on Fiona Fox, Science
Media Centre, Sense about Science etc etc are little more than ad
hominem (what's the female version of that?)>>

"Ad feminem", presumably, although the tone of these arguments has been
slipping into "angry, shouty, preachy" territory, so perhaps "Ad Eminem"
would be more apt.

Good to see a serious discussion of this clearly heartfelt issue, but
please let's try to keep it civil, folks. 

Glenn





> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:PSCI-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Kenward
> Sent: 26 April 2007 12:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] The Great Global Warming Swindle
> 
> It is hard to remain calm and cool in the presence of such
objectionable,
> ill-informed and possibly libellous comments as "Fox has used [SMC] to
> launch some pretty nasty attacks on her political opponents".
> 
> That sort of thing needs challenging, and robustly. I applaud Bob's
> response. Where is the evidence that the SMC is a political lobby? Is
it
> political to try to improve the way in which the media cover science?
> 
> The cowardly interjection of a URL link with no context merely
compounds the
> issue.
> 
> http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Science_Media_Centre
> 
> We all know what people can mean by throwing such material into the
fray. If
> the person who threw this in didn't want to be misinterpreted, then
they
> should not leave it to the reader to interpret why this was lobbed
over the
> wall.
> 
> The self-appointed conspiracy theorists at "Source Watch" shelter in
the
> USA, where the rabid right feels free to throw around unsubstantiated
> accusations. To suggest, as Source Watch does, that the Science Media
Centre
> is something to do with "Living Marxism," is not just ludicrous, it is
> deranged. Is that what the poster of the link wanted us to take from
this?
> Who knows?
> 
> If anyone really wants to get an idea of what Fiona Fox has to say on
issues
> that really are relevant to the denizens of PSCI, I suggest that they
visit
> her blog.
> 
> http://fionafox.blogspot.com/
> 
> Her latest entry is far more thoughtful and reasoned than you would
think
> possible from the spittle flecked invective that we have seen here. At
least
> she checks her facts. She also avoids cowardly innuendo and guilt by
> association.
> 
> Is that pompous enough for you Bill? Like you, I have my doubts about
the
> SMC, but I blame a supine and lazy media. If the hacks were any good
we
> would not need an SMC.
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________________________
> _____
> Michael Kenward OBE       /                   Phone: +44 (0)1444
401064
>                          /
> Science Writer & Stuff  /             My other computer is a slide
rule
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Simon ,Louise
> Sent: 26 April 2007 09:45
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] The Great Global Warming Swindle
> 
> As Psci-com list manager, can we make the exchanges less heated
please.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Louise
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bob Ward
> Sent: 26 April 2007 08:40
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] The Great Global Warming Swindle
> 
> It is apparent that you do not have the decency to withdraw your nasty
> little smear and that the lack of evidence to substantiate your claims
> makes no difference to your views. Lest anybody on this list believes
> your falsehoods about the Science Media Centre, I am bound to point
out
> that the following people are members of its board:
> 
> Kenny Campbell
> Editor, Metro
> 
> Dr Philip Campbell
> Editor-in-Chief, Nature
> 
> Clive Cookson
> Science Editor, Financial Times
> 
> Dr Peter Cotgreave
> Director, Campaign for Science & Engineering in the UK
> 
> Carolan Davidge
> Director of Press & PR, Cancer Research UK
> 
> Mike Granatt CB FIPR
> Partner, Luther Pendragon and former Director General of Goverment
> Information and Communication Service
> 
> Professor Robin Lovell-Badge FRS
> Head of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical
> Research
> 
> Tom Miller
> Director of Communications, Imperial College London and STEMPRA
> committee member
> 
> Rebecca Morelle
> Science and Nature reporter, BBC News Online
> 
> Vivienne Parry
> Writer, broadcaster and journalist
> 
> Simon Pearson
> Night Editor, The Times
> 
> Dr Simon Singh
> Science writer and broadcaster
> 
> Adrian Van Klaveren
> Deputy Director, BBC News
> 
> Bob Ward
> Director of Global Science Networks, Risk Management Solutions Ltd
> 
> Alan Winter
> Head of Operations, Royal Institution of Great Britain
> 
> 
> It is just not credible to claim that we are all part of a "political
> lobby organisation". And I suspect that the many journalists who seek
> help from the SMC everyday might have found out if it was up to
anything
> other than providing a first-class service to both the science
community
> and the media.
> 
> As for your criticism of the joint letter about 'The Great Global
> Warming Swindle', I really wish you would not misrepresent it as an
> attempt at censorship. It seeks the correction of misrepresentations
of
> the science, which, as the following news story indicates, even Martin
> Durkin has started to accept:
> http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/313162_global26.html
> 
> 
> Bob Ward
> Director, Global Science Networks
> 
> Risk Management Solutions Ltd
> Peninsular House
> 30 Monument Street
> London
> EC3R 8NB
> 
> Tel. +44 (0) 20 7444 7741
> Blackberry +44 (0) 7710 333687
> 
> www.rms.com
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Francis Sedgemore
> Sent: 25 April 2007 22:23
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] The Great Global Warming Swindle
> 
> Apart from answering an off-list email response to my earlier
> contribution, I've been out of action for most of the day owing to a
> copy deadline. However, this evening I've put together 1700 words on
the
> subject, and posted them here:
> 
> http://skysong.eu/2007/04/science-advocacy-and-political-lobbying/
> 
> Michael Kenward - yes, you're right about the corporate nature of C4.
> Silly me. You're also right about sensationalist headlines dreamt up
by
> subeditors - a most peculiar sub-species. On a few occasions I've had
> cause to curse Guardian Unlimited subs. On the other hand, they
> occasionally come up with some absolute gems (although the creator of
> the recent "CAMERON FINGERED OVER DYKE" should hang his head in
> shame!).
> 
> The SMC describes itself as an independent media agency working to
> promote the voices, stories and views of the scientific community.
> That may be part of it, but the SMC is also a political lobby
> organisation, and Fox has used it to launch some pretty nasty attacks
on
> her political opponents.
> 
> My mistake today was to not focus exclusively on criticising the open
> letter to Durkin, and its calls for what can only be described as
> censorship. For that I accept Michael K's admonition. But to be honest
I
> just couldn't help it. I was so struck by the irony of those who claim
> that climate-change is due to human influence failing to see that the
> object of their opprobrium and some of their science media allies are
> political bedfellows. And the politics in question are truly bizarre.
> 
> There may have been, and still be, some respectable human beings
> involved with the SMC, but the evidence is overwhelming regarding the
> true agenda of those pulling the strings. That evidence is, as has
been
> pointed out here, in the public domain.
> 
> The SMC is, through some of its personnel, directly connected with the
> other organisations on the list questioned by Michael K.
> 
> Francis
> 
> 
> On 25 Apr 07, at 18:35, Michael Kenward wrote:
> 
> > Never judge a story by its headline.
> >
> > Even the author of the story gets pissed off by that sort of thing.
> > And they
> > will not see it before they get their own copy of the paper.
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________
> ____
> > _
> > Michael Kenward OBE       /                   Phone: +44 (0)1444
> > 401064
> >                          /
> > Science Writer & Stuff  /             My other computer is a slide
> > rule
> 
> 
> --
> Dr Francis Sedgemore
> Freelance journalist and science writer
> tlf: +44.7840191336; web: http://skysong.eu
> 
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