Friday, June 26, 2009

KMOT/NBC Irresponsible Journalism

KMOT/NBC

Irresponsible journalism occurred tonight on the 5pm broadcast. I tried calling KMOT here in Minot and they told me that it was a package from NBC and gave me the number to try and get a hold of Monica Hannen in Bismarck. I got a number that was a computer that gave me the run around. I could not lodge a complaint. The story was about chiropractors manipulating babies and children spines to prevent ear infections, asthma, colic, allergies etc. This is bogus. Yes I am using the term that Simon Singh in the UK used. If you remember he is the one of the co-author of Trick or Treatment with Dr. Edzard Ernst. Simon is being sued under the libel laws of UK by the British Chiropractic Association. UK has the most awful laws that stifle free speech. There is a huge out pouring of support for Simon, with over 12,000 signatures and growing, to change the laws. See http://wwwsenseaboutscience.org.freedebate. The Chiropractors were also caught telling their members to change their online sites from advertising such scientifically unsupported claims. See http://quacksmeter.net/blog/2009/06/chiropractors-told-to-takedown-their.html. Here we go here the airing of such material is irresponsible journalism. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims. Such airing only encourages mothers to subject their children to potentially dangerous unproven treatments. Children’s bones are not mature and are easily damaged. I have published on a previous blog and in the local Minot Daily in a column earlier a piece that the chiropractors own research shows no benefit. In fact there is ample evidence that chiropractic manipulation of the neck can cause strokes from tearing of the lining of two arteries that supply the brain. It is in the medical literature and there have been lawsuits in these areas against chiropractors. To find reference to such go to the site on the internet called Whats the Harm. This site has real verifiable cases of harm by chiropractors among other so called therapies of antivaccinations, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc. These groups if they have no science evidence to back up their claims they resort to legal in hopes of intimidating warning groups and people, such as I. They hope it will silence free speech so they can pedel their lies and scams. Does Oprah control these media also now? Don’t just believe me be a skeptic check it out for yourself.

Peace
Skeptical DoDo

No comments: