Note: The central idea for this post is the same as that of a post I did a few months ago. However, given some of the assertions and comments made by Dr. Offit in Autism’s False Prophets, I thought they were worth discussing again, especially given how many readers are around who aren’t regular readers of mine.

One of the major points made by Dr. Offit in Autism’s False Prophets is how badly the media deals with scientific issues and stories in which science is a major component. Indeed, he devotes two full chapters, Science and the Media and Science and Society, to a lament that pseudoscience such as antivaccine fearmongering is so easily promoted by the media and accepted by large numbers in American society. He lists a lot of the usual culprits, such as a poor understanding of science by the vast majority of Americans. Of course, there is also the false “balance” given antivaccine cranks in the media, which follows the journalistic mantra of “tell both sides,” not understanding such a tactic produces a false equivalence of the two when applied to issues of science versus pseudoscience and produces the impression that there is a real scientific controversy when there is not. (Indeed, this is so common that a term has been coined for it “manufactroversy,” which is short for “manufactured controversy”; a better description of the antivaccine reality distortion field would be hard to find.) Another excellent point is how the culture of science differs from that of the sound bite culture of media; scientists are often tentative and refuse to speak in absolutes, knowing the limitations of studies. We rarely say “never,” “always,” or “impossible.” So, when a reporter asks if vaccines cause autism, we almost always say something along the lines of, “studies thus far have found no link between vaccines and autism, rather than “vaccines don’t cause autism.” We do it because it’s more accurate and, as Dr. Offit points out, it’s impossible for science to completely prove a negative. The best we can do is estimate the probability, and the existing science is conclusive that there is very, very little chance that vaccines cause or contribute to autism. We can never say “zero” chance, but we can say the chance is vanishingly small. Unfortunately, that is perceived by the lay person as meaning that there’s still a chance. Finally, Dr. Offit even dares to go one place where I honestly didn’t expect him to go and mention the prevalence of religion and belief in the paranormal as contributing factors to the lack of critical thinking skills that allow the antivaccine dogma to flourish.

If only he hadn’t so approvingly quoted industry shills and all purpose denialists Steve Milloy and Michael Fumento, as I pointed out in my review on Wednesday, Autism’s False Prophets would have been near-perfect in hitting all the right notes on this issue.

One thing, however, I didn’t see so much in the book that I would have liked to see more of is how scientists and physicians could effectively counter the propaganda laid down by the likes of Jenny McCarthy and the movement of which she is currently the most famous member. For example, lately she’s been on CNN (as I described here, although unfortunately the video appears to have been removed), on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and all over the media promoting her book Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds. Last year at exactly this time of year, she was promoting her previous book Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism. Why is her message so effective, even though she is dumb as a rock when it comes to anything having to do with science and is so full of hubris that she thinks her Google education trumps expert knowledge and a wealth of solid epidemiological studies?

It’s her frame.

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