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#NaturalNonsense: Science Supporters Condemn Natural News Founder Mike Adams

Posted 27 December 2016

“If you don’t know who Mike “Health Ranger” Adams is, he may be a steadfast presence in your social media newsfeed without your knowledge. Awarded the top slot on Real Clear Science’s “Worst Websites for Science in 2016” list, and with its founder touted by Dr. Oz as “the Renegade Health Ranger,”  Natural News is a thorn in the sides of all who hold legitimate science dear.  But bad science isn’t Adams’ only offense. Natural News is a fake news fixture, with articles on Obama birtherism, HIV/AIDS denialism, and the Sandy Hook tragedy as an elaborate hoax by FEMA to promote gun control. With the current uproar about fake news, the website and its founder should top lists of spurious sources.”

[quote]Now, dozens of science supporters (including me) have launched a grassroots New Year’s resolution campaign against both Adams and his website, tagged with… Read the rest
December 27th, 2016 | Tags: , | Category: Health Information | Leave a comment

Reporting on quacks and pseudoscience

Posted 17 April 2015

This interesting article, Reporting on quacks and pseudoscience: The problem for journalists, written by Michael Hiltzik and published in the LA Times, highlights the problem that journalists face: do they give coverage to obvious quacks?

Recently, we raised the question of how political journalists should deal with candidates for president who mouth the quackery of climate change denial. But the problem of how to write about pseudoscience goes much broader.

In part that’s because quack science has penetrated so deeply into public discourse — witness the huge audience tuning in to the egregious Dr. Oz. There’s also the impulse of journalists at major news organizations to give all sides of a question equal play, regardless of their credibility.

But last week Keith Kloor of Discover Magazine and Julia Belluz of Vox, in similar articles, examined yet another ethical issue: How to report on popular

… Read the rest
April 17th, 2015 | Tags: | Category: Health Information | Leave a comment

Slate magazine slates Dr Oz – Anyone similar in South Africa?

Posted 10 January 2013

From The Slate, in an article titled Dr. Oz’s Miraculous Medical Advice – Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, by Julia Belluz and Steven J. Hoffman. 

Dr Oz then told his audience about a “breakthrough,” “magic,” “holy grail,” even “revolutionary” new fat buster. “I want you to write it down,” America’s doctor urged his audience with a serious and trustworthy stare. After carefully wrapping his lips around the exotic words “Garcinia cambogia,” he added, sternly: “It may be the simple solution you’ve been looking for to bust your body fat for good.”

The miracle cure isn’t really a miracle at all. It’s not even new. Garcinia cambogia has been studied as a weight-loss aid for more than 15 years. A 1998 randomized controlled trial looked at the effects of garcinia as a potential “antiobesity agent” in 135 people. The conclusion: The pills

… Read the rest
January 9th, 2013 | Tags: | Category: Health Information | 5 comments

More Sad Facts . . .

Posted 17 December, 2011

A promise was made to publish a correction ('clarification') to a misleading and irresponsible article first published in Health Intelligence magazine Edition 10 on page 14. The article was about antidepressant medicines.  The promise was to publish the clarification in Edition 12.

An 'update' has been published in Health Intelligence magazine Edition 12 on page 11. Was it the promised clarification? Sadly not. Check out the updated blog at: http://www.camcheck.co.za/sad-facts-about-happy-pills-not-so-many-facts/

… Read the rest
December 17th, 2011 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Category: Health Information, Solal | Leave a comment

‘Sad facts about happy pills’ – not so many facts!

Posted 23 August 2011; updated 17 December 2011


Edition 10 of a local magazine ‘Health Intelligence’ has on its cover a headline: ‘Antidepressant dangers exposed – The sad facts about happy pills’ – an article written by Morné Malan who has a PhD in English.

(The original article being deconstructed can be read here:
Sad Facts About Happy Pills – Health Intelligence Edition 10 page14)

UPDATE (17 December 2011)

Comment 8 of the comments section below contains the following statement by Brent Murphy the editor of Health Intelligence magazine: “Therefore we will be publishing the following statement in edition 12 (edition 11 is already in circulation so it can’t appear in that)”. (emphasis added) This is followed by the promised  “CLARIFICATION” which reads:

“In an article Sad Facts about Happy Pills featured in Health Intelligence 10,  it was reported as “FACTS” that antidepressants cause death, … Read the rest

August 23rd, 2011 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Category: Health Information, No Proof!, Solal | 9 comments