Should sage members be stopped from talking to media.

[Againstmachine]

Every week there seems to be a talking head in media from sage who seems to make doom monger predictions this week it's Prof Semple who says we will possibly need winter lockdowns.

I don't think these people are helpful and think sage members ought not to be talking to the press.

One also wonders how much they are getting paid per appearance.

Very important to hear from scientists at present. As a believer in free speech I am horrified at the idea of scientists being banned from talking to the media! If scientific consensus is lacking, I think it's important the media reflects that by giving a voice to a range of expert viewpoints. But if there is genuine scientific consensus, it's important the media doesn't indulge in "false balance" by finding a non-expert who disagrees and portraying that person's views on the science as carrying equal weight.

The other side is mostly talking bollocks, that's why no one is listening!

I don’t know, Heneghan and Gupta seem to get far more airtime and column space than their always wrong models justify.

Yes they do nothing but screw with everyone's mental health as Charles Walker said they either advise the government or interview for hello mag

But if there is genuine scientific consensus, it's important the media doesn't indulge in "false balance" by finding a non-expert who disagrees and portraying that person's views on the science as carrying equal weight.

But that’s exactly what happens. If 99 scientists agree and 1 disagrees that 1 is given the same gravitas in the name of balance. There are always two sides and apparently to a lot of the media and public opinion this means that the 99 scientists’ findings are as valid as that 1. It’s bonkers.

Can you tell us a bit about your own scientific background op?

@Againstmachine

Every week there seems to be a talking head in media from sage who seems to make doom monger predictions this week it's Prof Semple who says we will possibly need winter lockdowns.

I don't think these people are helpful and think sage members ought not to be talking to the press.

One also wonders how much they are getting paid per appearance.

agree with you on this one @Againstmachine

they need to have a consensus view that's reported every fortnight or so (or when there's a new development that needs scientific commentary), from SAGE as a group

endless contradictory speculation about transmission, vaccine efficacy, future COVID policies from individuals is not helpful and is diminishing public confidence

@Againstmachine - the government doesn't pay anyone. We do.

@Againstmachine - if we're talking about lying, I think our focus should be the government not the scientists.

Yeah OP.

Let's gag the experts.

Shall we continue down the totalitarian path by having them 'disappear' too?

@Againstmachine - the government doesn't pay anyone. We do.

Same difference really

@Againstmachine

They definitely are not paid.

Is it expenses we know how that goes.

No. Not expenses. It does not work like that. Hard to believe, I understand that, but the reality is that it’s not conducted in any way that normal ‘business’ stuff is. Niche academics are eminently exploitable.

@Againstmachine

They definitely are not paid.

Is it expenses we know how that goes.

You have already been told this but I’ll give it one more go. Broadcasters do not pay interviewees. As a matter of principle ( it may influence what they say) but also because there is no need. You ask someone to come on the TV, 9 times out of 10 they say yes if they possibly can. You don’t pay expenses. If a cab is needed, it’s booked centrally. That’s money spent on the interview, sure, but the interviewee never sees it

I think @Againstmachine is missing the now defunct State of Fear echo chambers threads

It’s really interesting that there is a perception that these people get paid. I did a lot of media work in a previous role and was never paid a penny! They don’t do this side of their work for money .

I totally agree OP. I also think the power has gone to their heads- they now have a very strong interest I prolonging this crap for as long as possible. Otherwise they retreat back into irrelevance.

@youshouldbeplotting

I think *@Againstmachine* is missing the now defunct State of Fear echo chambers threads

Oh, has that gone? That might explain why there seems to be a sort of swarming of certain views ('the scientists want to control us' thing) all over other threads recently. Spreading out all over the place. Just like an uncontained virus in fact...

@RubyViolet

I want experts and scientists to have a voice in our society. I do not want to live under an authoritarian government.

This

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

The other side is mostly talking bollocks, that's why no one is listening!

I don’t know, Heneghan and Gupta seem to get far more airtime and column space than their always wrong models justify.

yes, those 2 are an embarrassment

Individually - yes. I think their opinions/views from a collective perspective are very valuable tough.

@Againstmachine

We have no idea at the moment how winter will pan out. If we're lucky the vaccinations will hold and we'll be ok, but it's sensible to plan for restrictions

Modellers with computers can't predict the weather, I find people making predictions months in advance dangerous.

But while modellers with data input by the best minds in the field of epidemiology are hopeless at making predictions, the ones you pull out of your arse are totally valid OP??

The level of arrogant stupidity in this forum is quite astonishing.

The constraints on SAGE members have made the contributions of Indie SAGE especially valuable.

We need more, not less, informed discussion on science.

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

The other side is mostly talking bollocks, that's why no one is listening!

I don’t know, Heneghan and Gupta seem to get far more airtime and column space than their always wrong models justify.

I haven't actually heard from Gupta since she did that GB thing.

Heneghan went quiet for a good time after all his claims that a second wave was impossible because we had herd immunity, but now seems to have been recruited by the Telegraph for it's "covid is solved" agenda.

The "Evidence-Based" in his title kind of gave him away as a total con-artist - it always struck me a bit like people who go round telling everyone how awesome they are.....

@herecomesthsun

The constraints on SAGE members have made the contributions of Indie SAGE especially valuable.

We need more, not less, informed discussion on science.

Indeed - in fact had SAGE been talking to the public last February, things might have been very different!

@herecomesthsun

The constraints on SAGE members have made the contributions of Indie SAGE especially valuable.

We need more, not less, informed discussion on science.

I'm not sure anything anyone from indy sage has said could be considered "valuable"