Presentation by Sharon Schmickle, Science Journalist, Minnesota Delivered at the B4FA Media Dialogue Workshop, Kampala, Uganda - November 2012 www.b4fa.org

1. Beyond phony
balance
A little knowledge can go a
long way in terms of
evaluating claims.

2. 1side + 1side = Confusion
Is cigarette smoking harmful to health?
 Yes
 No
 Maybe
 Maybe not
 All of the above

4. Example from crop genetics
The claim: GMOs cause mysterious and
dangerous allergies.
One side: Yes
Other side: No
Reader/viewer: Torn between the two.

5. Not so mysterious after all
Experts were available to explain the nature
of allergens.
Journalists who bothered to find them
became the front runners in coverage of
the story.

6. In a nutshell



A new gene often prompts the plan to
produce a new protein. (Not always;
sometimes an existing gene simply is switched
on or off.)
A protein causes an allergic reaction under
certain conditions that depend on the form of
the protein and the sensitivity of the
consumer.
A particular protein can and should be
analyzed before the GM plant is approved for
release.

7. Bottom line
It was inaccurate to say that all GM foods
were potential allergy bombs.

8. End of story? No.
Journalists still want to ask regulators
whether a new GM plant has been
analyzed as a potential allergen.

9. Key point
Check it out