Reiki is a complementary therapy in which a therapist’s hands are placed on — or simply near — a patient’s body, with the intention of redirecting what are purported to be vital energy flows in order to enhance the patient’s physical health and well-being. The main problem with Reiki is […]
Health
When is a nuclear meltdown not a nuclear meltdown?
The horror of human suffering caused by the catastrophe in Japan is vicariously traumatic, and only compounded by the fearful prospect of mass radioactivity contamination. News organizations have a pivotal role when reporting such events in both informing and, if appropriate, reassuring a frightened public. In reality, of course, the […]
Can geography affect depression treatment?
The Guardian published some of their own research last week, examining the variations that exist in prescription rates for antidepressants across the UK. The headline statistics were shocking in various ways. Firstly, the Guardian found that the rate of antidepressant prescriptions varied massively from area to area, such that prescription […]
The Irish Times: Promoting homeopathy, endangering children?
The Irish Times is the so-called “newspaper of record” in Ireland. It has a reputation for being Ireland’s leading print source of intellectual commentary and political analysis. It is widely regarded as maintaining impeccable journalistic standards and of being one of Europe’s leading newspapers. However, when it comes to alternative […]
The BMA’s dodgy claim about British GPs and CAM
Providers of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are always absolutely thrilled whenever real medical doctors claim to support their activities. Such support from authentic physicians constitutes a highly persuasive form of community advertising. Therefore, the fact that an entire organization of medical doctors is willing to lend its corporate support […]
The science of tea: News-reporting as PR
Consider this slightly cumbersome headline in the last Saturday’s Daily Mail, located in the newspaper’s Health section: “Take time for tea and give your brain a lift as well as reduce tiredness”. The story refers to a new research paper published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience. Based on the research, […]
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Where I speak to colleagues in the Swedish parliament…
