World Exclusive - Sunday Times - Sinks To New Low With Yet More MMR Junk Journalism

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from Clifford cgmiller@...

<http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/sunday-times-sinks-to-new-low\

-with-yet-more-mmr-junk-journalism/>Sunday

Times - Sinks To New Low With Yet More MMR Junk Journalism

Posted on February 8, 2009

Here are extracts of today's story published exclusively online by

ChildHealthSafety. A stop press later today with exclusive comment

from Dr Wakefield on these new Sunday Times allegations is anticipated:-

" The reputation of The Sunday Times of London takes another nose dive

today in yet more junk journalism by an unethical unprofessional

freelance journalist to revive a seemingly flagging career [more of

which below].

The new accusations appear in The Sunday Times today headlined:-

" <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5683671.ece>MMR

doctor Wakefield fixed data on autism " - The Sunday Times,

London - February 8, 2009

Not only are these more inaccurate stories with laughable claims, but

seemingly illegally quoting out-of-context confidential information

from Court disclosed medical records of injured children. In England

such action is a potential contempt of Court, punishable by fines and

imprisonment.

..........................................

What The Sunday Times' commissioned freelancer does not appear to

have are the histories taken carefully during the investigations at

The Royal Free Hospital in around 1996/7 and which are the more

reliable account of the children's conditions.

It is the absence of the information from those documents which

collapses these latest Sunday Times' stories published today.

A parent of an autistic child comments:-

" When this Sunday Times freelance journalist accused Dr

Wakefield of altering the histopathology results the freelancer

presumably simply did not understand the data. The he goes and

makes a public accusation which the Sunday Times publishes

uncritically. It is amazing they did not get anyone competent to

check the facts. "

Sources say The Sunday Times' freelancer approached Dr Wakefield only

on the Friday just before the stories were being submitted for

publication today with the false claims that:-

" In the cases of some 8 children - two thirds of the total - you

changed normal histopathology results to abnormal results, in a

so-called " research review " , despite claiming that the series was

merely a clinical report. "

But it was other doctors employed in the Department of Histopathology

who were experienced in bowel disease dealt with such matter and not

Dr Wakefield. This is a matter of record at the GMC and sources say

Dr Wakefield is mystified as to how The Sunday Times' freelance

journalist could not have known that when he wrote his stories and

submitted them to The Sunday Times for publication. "

A professional journalist's impartiality is paramount. The job is

reporting news made by others, and not creating it. This Sunday

Times' freelancer in contrast made the complaints to the UK General

Medical Council against these doctors which have lead to

unprecedented marathon hearings starting with investigations the

freelance was responsible for lodging over 4 years ago in 2004.

The freelancer's complaints included numerous allegations which The

Sunday Times refused to publish in their original stories 2004 and

since. One result of the complaints is that such allegations when

made in formal GMC proceedings become reportable when they would

otherwise be actionable defamation. The freelancer has fastidiously

attended the hearings. Whilst Wakefield was forced by the

pressure of dealing with the unprecedented lengthy marathon UK GMC

proceedings to withdraw libel actions against The Sunday Times, it is

notable the other allegations have not been published then or since.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

Vaccines - http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm

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