Michael Sharpe on Radio 4 Today / Tom Feilden BBC (18th march 2019)

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Looks like Radio 4 Today have picked it up & will be running it in the morning

 

I am slightly perplexed as to why journalists are not bored stiff with this line of story. What is new. Another psychiatrist has got old and bored and wants to grumble.

 

But he's from Oxford.

 

https://twitter.com/user/status/1107412756532097025

 

Me too! Most people reading/listening to this story are going to see/hear headline and go "oh yeah, I heard that story already; why are you telling me an old story?" My partner is a former journo and he always reminds me to never underestimate the laziness of journalists. And SMC has practically packaged the whole story up for them and handed it to them on a platter (and in this day when journos are expected to write several stories/podcast/tweet/insert-hustle-here, that's no small thing). I do wonder if Feilden and Kelland may even be part of the same dinner party set? Or are just so damn flattered that an Oxford don is spending time with them on a story?

 

Plus:

Review of the first three years of the mental health research function at the Science Media Centre, February 2013 by Dr Claire Bithell, Head of Mental Health, Science Media Centre,
http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/w...arch-function-at-the-Science-Media-Centre.pdf , p.4

 

It is very courageous of "the award-winning" Tom Feilden to announce his interest. I await his hearing his item. One might hope that the Today programme will be trying to rebalance the debate following the input from their old alumnus Liddle-who may have learnt all he knows in workig on the programme.

Some might think that articles and programmes are coordinated to prolong the debate and coverage for maximum effect. It would be unfortunate if the Beeb gave that impression.

It will be interesting to see whether he has taken the trouble to interview any dissenting voices. Given the coverage which there has already been one might expect that he would have spoken to @dave30th or possibly @Jonathan Edwards to provide balance.

Yesterday's disclosure of the withholding of publication of the Wilshire Kindlon paper is also something which should be addressed. As I said, this is going to be courageous.

 

Sharpe is on Radio 4 now - 8.45am if you're listening later.

 

Good question from the presenter.

 

"Journal of Health Psychology at liberty to publish campaigns"

 

Apparently my article was hate fuelled by the idea that ME is not real.

 

Sharpe said that there are treatments for PWME and that the studies have been replicated at least a dozen times.

 

Poor Sharpe sounded a bit pathetic and I suspect barely credible. The presenter pointed out that the methodology had been questioned. Sharpe simply claimed that it was all hate campaign. It seemed a bit of a non-event. As if the editor had had their arm twisted to include it but was not that interested.

 

Did anybody hear any attempt to substantiate the allegations? And what is this condition that 1 in a hundred people suffer from?

The BBC might as well give up on any pretence to serious journalism.

 

So he claimed "researchers are being stalked" and subject to "threats of violence". Funny how he forgot to mention either of these trivial facts to Reuters and chose instead to emphasis the unkind words on Twitter.

It really was a "blink and you'll miss it" interview. Hopefully not long enough to make any sort of impact on the average listener.

 

I think it is interesting that on this occasion the complaint was not really about abuse or death threats but about criticism of the science. And that was portrayed as hate campaign. So now Sharpe is being a bit more honest - he is actually complaining about the critique of his science. And his story about 'how science works' is nonsense. It is how the self-perpetuating establishment mediocrity works maybe, but in complete violation of the principles of science where scepticism rules supreme.