Rudy Baum:

Official Censor of the American Chemical Society?


Rudy Baum, the managing editor of the American Chemical Society's magazine Chemical & Engineering News, recently; wrote that objectivity among journalists was overrated. This was his defense to criticism that Chemical & Engineering News ignored the views of scientists who were skeptical of the alleged association between manmade greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

So here's Rudy's philosophy in action.

In the October 6, 1997 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, an article was published titled "Poll Indicates Global Warming Is Seen as a Serious Threat." The poll turned out to be one of registered voters (experts on climate change science?) conducted for the World Wildlife Fund.

Then, in plenty of time for the October 13, 1997 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, Citizens for a Sound Economy released a poll of state climatologists (i.e., real scientific experts) indicating that almost 60 percent were skeptical of the theory of manmade climate change.

Any coverage in Chemical & Engineering News? None.

And that's the state of journalism at Chemical & Engineering News. I wonder if the American Chemical Society's members (the people who pay Rudy's salary) appreciate his censorship?


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