Category Archives: The Observer
Observer editor is to go: we are more possible than they could powerfully imagine
Observer editor Roger Alton will step down at the end of 2007. It appears that the terrible MMR/autism coverage from the Observer – and their failure to issue a proper retraction or apology – played a role in this. Much … Continue reading
Filed under MMR, The Observer
The Observer corrects one of its MMR errors – but other errors remain uncorrected
I’m pleased to say that – after I complained several times – the Observer has now corrected one of the many glaring errors in its MMR coverage: last Sunday, it ran this correction In our interview with Dr Andrew Wakefield … Continue reading
Filed under autism, MMR, The Observer
The Observer’s bad autism science spreads to Channel 4? Now updated.
Mark Twain has been quoted (perhaps incorrectly) as saying that “A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” As shown on this blog and elsewhere, the Observer really messed up in its … Continue reading
Filed under autism, Channel 4, The Observer
The Observer eventually responds to my e-mail pointing out their basic factual errors on MMR. And tries to weasel their way out of an apology, again.
On July 5, the Observer published two terrible MMR stories that Kevin Leitch summarised nicely: The Observer “had decided to play the role of media dumbass. Obviously the mail and Private Eye are having an off day.” The Observer have … Continue reading
Filed under MMR, The Guardian, The Observer
The Observer fails to correct or retract its glaringly obvious mistakes on MMR and autism. For the third week running. Despite these being explained to them in very, very simple terms
I used to think that the Observer was a proper, accurate paper – that when you saw an article in it, you could assume that it was well-researched, probably accurate and, if a mistake was made, the Observer would correct … Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Wakefield, MMR, The Guardian, The Observer
More terrible Observer MMR coverage
Now I’m annoyed with the Observer. I had a nice Holford Watch post mostly written – looking at some particularly odd claims for vitamin C – and was planning on spending the rest of the day relaxing with a newspaper. … Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Wakefield, MMR, The Observer
More MMR bad science: The Guardian, the BMJ, and Holford Watch in BMJ Rapid Responses
A short break from your usual Patrick Holford coverage – courtesy of some more awful mainstream media MMR reporting. It was disappointing to see the Observer running such god-awful autism/MMR stories, but to see the BMJ pick up the Observer’s … Continue reading
Filed under Ben Goldacre, bmj, MMR, The Guardian, The Observer
How are people meant to find out the facts about MMR and Wakefield? Neither Holford nor the Observer seem to be helping
This blog has been critical of Holford’s writing on MMR, autism and Wakefield. We were surprised that Holford made such a hash of summarising the evidence on this issue, and especially disturbed that he failed to note that Wakefield faced … Continue reading
Filed under Andrew Wakefield, MMR, patrick holford, The Observer
