photo credit-Todd Baker
Creative Commons license
Almost exactly two years ago I wrote two posts regarding how the Chicago Tribune was allowing non-factual gibberish to be published under its masthead thru the online in house blog of Julie Deardorff, and how it was abdicating its journalistic responsibility. I was afraid at the time that this was to be indicative of what would pass for "investigative journalism" at mainstream, formerly powerhouse, papers (and other media outlets).
I am happy to say that I was wrong.
In May the Tribune published very good investigative pieces on Dr. Mark and David Geier, as well as a local Chicago quack by the name of Dr. Mayer Eisenstein.
Now this month there are two more articles on autism and quackery, detailing how risky therapies have little basis in science, and how legitimate researchers have seen their findings twisted by those who would fleece money from unsuspecting parents.
All of these recent articles are the product of reporters Trine Tsouderos and Patricia Callahan.
I must say that I am impressed with the quality and consistency of these articles. No false balancing of legitimate science with BS pseudoscience. No confusing association of two events with causation. Just a thorough investigation of the underlying science, and painstaking digging through all of the "scientific sounding" but totally bogus claims of those out there that would fleece desperate parents out of their time and money.
If these two reporters keep up such great work, we just might see the rise of mainstream newspapers again.
