Professor of developmental neuropsychology at the University of Oxford Dorothy Bishop has a novel idea distribute awards to recognize, or rather disrepute, research misrepresentations in the media. In her blog earlier this month, she announced the launch of the Orwellian Prize for Journalistic Misrepresentation, which will be awarded every January.
ACSH would like to nominate Richard Alleyne, science correspondent for the Telegraph, for his recent article on the harmful reproductive effects that register receipts pose for men. Laden with misinformation and gross exaggerations, Alleyene s piece warns men to avoid shopping lest they become infertile by coming into contact with and perhaps later ingesting trace amounts of BPA found in the receipts.
Sometimes things are so bad, they re actually good. To claim that shopping receipts can cause impotence is absurd, says ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan.
According to ACSH's Jeff Stier, I think Bishop s contest will be a highly competitive one. ACSH could submit an entry everyday.