Left McCarthyism? SF Pacifica radio station KPFA blacklists scientist because he’s not anti-GMO

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The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis.

The following is an excerpt of a blog written by Daniel Chamovitz, Dean of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University, and co-chair of the India-israel Forum on Food Security, and reproduced under the Fair Use Guidelines. It was not written for the GLP. Please go to Professor Chamovitz’s website for his complete blog.

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I was boycotted because of my scientific opinions.

I was approached by the producers of a radio station in the Bay Area about interviewing me about my book WHAT A PLANT KNOWS. The producers defined their program as “a politically left, investigative, health/science show on the Pacifica station KPFA.”

Six hours before the scheduled interview I got the following email from my publicist  at FSG/SA books: “So sorry about this, but she has canceled the interview (upon realizing you’re in favor of genetically modified food). I’m so sorry! Now you don’t have to go on air at midnight, at least.”

At first I found this amusing, especially as I wasn’t even supposed to talk about GMOs! It was even funny as a stereotype of Northern California. But I’ve realized that this censoring based on scientific opinion has dangerous implications.

Yes, the producers of this private radio show are not obligated to interview me or anyone else. But once having invited me about an issue completely unrelated to genetic engineering, to cancel this invitation based on other opinions, smacks of McCarthysim. Indeed as I did not discuss GMOs in my book, the producers of this show must have carried out a McCarthy-like background check to uncover my support of genetic engineering in agriculture.

Read full, original post: When McCarthyism Meets Science

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