Author Topic: The news is no better than your typical spam email  (Read 369 times)

Brad Johnson

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 18,071
  • Witty, charming, handsome, and completely insane.
The news is no better than your typical spam email
« on: September 08, 2021, 05:31:36 PM »
News reporter in El Paso runs a story on Ivermectin causing sterilization.

...buuuuuut....

News story is pathetically devoid of objective data that can be confirmed. No names, no dates, no academic accreditation, nothing. Just "three Nigerian universities...". The story would be more believable if she straight up said "The stories about Nigerian princes with money to split are true".

https://www.ktsm.com/news/local-news/ivermectin-causes-sterilization-in-85-percent-of-men-study-finds/

Brad
« Last Edit: September 08, 2021, 06:02:29 PM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

MechAg94

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 33,734
Re: The news is no better than your typical spam email
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2021, 05:45:24 PM »
The article seems to use very specific its language at key points.  Even the quote from the Nigerian study uses specific language that doesn't really support the headline.
 
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

Brad Johnson

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 18,071
  • Witty, charming, handsome, and completely insane.
Re: The news is no better than your typical spam email
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2021, 05:57:32 PM »
Reread the story and there is indeed a link to the "study".

It's pathetic.

It's found on the Scholars Research Library, a Pay-To-Publish "research database". No indications of peer review or any type of third-party attributions. The references are pathetic. It's what I'd expect from a high school science class, not a serious University study.

I want to see a Peer Review of the study done by an accredited institution. Don't expect I'll see one, though.
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB

Bogie

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 10,207
  • Hunkered in South St. Louis, right by Route 66
    • Third Rate Pundit
Re: The news is no better than your typical spam email
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2021, 06:35:09 PM »
Just call me a paranoid conspiracy nutcase, but...
 
I worked for Searle/Monsanto/Pharmacia/Pfizer in one form or another from 1992-2006. Much of it in the research labs. Much of it going over presentations and publications.
 
I was the Creative Services presentation guy. And I dearly loved catching goofs, because that would look bad if they were not caught.
 
I got a LOT of attaboys. Look at my linked-in references.
 
When I saw the initial 'Rona reports, my first thought was "I don't like being lied to."
 
I still don't like being lied to.
Blog under construction

Brad Johnson

  • friend
  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 18,071
  • Witty, charming, handsome, and completely insane.
Re: The news is no better than your typical spam email
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2021, 04:06:38 PM »
...aaaand the story has been removed from Facebook and corrected on the originating news outlet's web page.

https://www.ktsm.com/news/local-news/ivermectin-causes-sterilization-in-85-percent-of-men-study-finds/

Quote
FOR THE RECORD: A national story regarding Ivermectin and a study regarding its effect on men’s reproductive health that KTSM published, has been removed from our website. 

Concerns over the scientific research methods, the veracity of the original, peer-reviewed report and public statements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saying that infertility is not a known side effect of Ivermectin all led to our editorial decision to remove the story.

I see they still insist on calling the source material "peer-reviewed" even though it's nothing of the sort. Anywho...

Actual facts, 1. Sensationalized reporting, 0.

Reporterette in question is Erin Coulehan. 2016 Georgetown graduate. Current Facebook Overview reads thusly ...

Quote
News reporter at KTSM 9 News, Stringer/Reporter at The New York Times and Social Justice Reporter freelance at Teen Vogue (Bolding mine. -Brad)

https://www.ktsm.com/author/erin-coulehan/

https://www.facebook.com/ms.coulehan/about

Woke Lib Reporterette thought she had a scoop, something she could wag in Trumpsters' faces. Screw core fundamentals of journalism, especially that part about always verifying your sources. It's a story that makes Woke Vaxxers look like heroes and all you ivermectin-ites look like idiots. Take that, stupid hick peasants!

The only thing news directors hate more than removing stories is admitting their story is BS. Here we have both. My guess is Reporterette's ability to sit comfortably is seriously compromised and her stories will get substantially more editorial scrutiny for a while.

Now if she would learn to use her Oxford Commas, we wouldn't be worrying about those peer-reviewed public statements.

Brad
« Last Edit: September 09, 2021, 04:21:58 PM by Brad Johnson »
It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB