How the FDA Manipulates the Media (Scientific American)

[G_j]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-fda-manipulates-the-media/

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been arm-twisting journalists into relinquishing their reportorial independence, our investigation reveals. Other institutions are following suit

By Charles Seife | Scientific American October 2016


It was a faustian bargain—and it certainly made editors at National Public Radio squirm.

The deal was this: NPR, along with a select group of media outlets, would get a briefing about an upcoming announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a day before anyone else. But in exchange for the scoop, NPR would have to abandon its reportorial independence. The FDA would dictate whom NPR's reporter could and couldn't interview.

“My editors are uncomfortable with the condition that we cannot seek reaction,” NPR reporter Rob Stein wrote back to the government officials offering the deal. Stein asked for a little bit of leeway to do some independent reporting but was turned down flat. Take the deal or leave it.
NPR took the deal. “I'll be at the briefing,” Stein wrote.

Later that day in April 2014, Stein—along with reporters from more than a dozen other top-tier media organizations, including CBS, NBC, CNN, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times—showed up at a federal building to get his reward. Every single journalist present had agreed not to ask any questions of sources not approved by the government until given the go-ahead.

..more.,

[angrychair]

1. The issue is serious

But reporters and news agencies complaining about their ability to "report" being manipulated rings hollow.

Reporters and networks continuously fail at investigative reporting, rarely ask follow-up questions or far to often fail to even have the appearance of being unbiased.