University of Florida Archives

Keith Kloor: How a science journalist worked behind the scenes with industry allies

Stacy Malkan | November 1, 2018

Keith Kloor is a freelance journalist and an adjunct journalism faculty member at New York University who has written for Nature, Science Insider, Slateand dozens of articles for Discover Magazinepromoting genetically engineered foods and attacking critics of the pesticide industry, while also assisting industry public relations efforts behind the scenes. Emails obtained by U.S. Right … Keith Kloor: How a science journalist worked behind the scenes with industry allies

Our Investigation of Big Food and its Front Groups

Gary Ruskin | September 5, 2015

Update: This blog has been updated to include a running list of news stories and commentary generated by our ongoing investigation. U.S. Right to Know is conducting an investigation into the collusion between Big Food, its front groups, and university faculty and staff to deliver industry PR to the public.That investigation is ongoing. Thus far, … Our Investigation of Big Food and its Front Groups

Julie Kelly cooks up propaganda for the pesticide industry

Stacy Malkan | February 13, 2017

Julie Kelly is a food writer and cooking instructor who emerged in 2015 as a fierce advocate for the agrichemical industry, with articles defending pesticides, arguing against GMO labeling and attacking the organic food industry. Her work has appeared in the National Review, The Hill, Huffington Post, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. An award-winning … Julie Kelly cooks up propaganda for the pesticide industry

Why Forbes deleted Kavin Senapathy’s articles

Stacy Malkan | August 31, 2017

Kavin Senapathy emerged as a writer in 2015 with articles promoting GMOs, defending pesticides and attacking critics of the agrichemical industry, many of them published in Forbes. She does not disclose her funding sources. In 2017, Forbes deleted seven articles Senapathy co-authored with Henry I. Miller, a former Hoover Institution fellow, following revelations in the … Why Forbes deleted Kavin Senapathy’s articles

Val Giddings: Top Operative for the Agrichemical Industry

Stacy Malkan | November 9, 2018

Val Giddings, PhD, is a key player in agrichemical industry efforts to oppose transparency and safety regulations for genetically engineered foods and pesticides. Emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know and posted in the UCSF Chemical Industry Documents Library indicate that Dr. Giddings helped set up a corporate front group and played a key behind-the-scenes … Val Giddings: Top Operative for the Agrichemical Industry

How Tamar Haspel Misleads Readers of the Washington Post

Stacy Malkan | August 23, 2018

Tamar Haspel is a freelance journalist who has been writing monthly food columns for the Washington Post since October 2013. Her columns frequently promote and defend pesticide industry products, while she also receives payments to speak at industry-aligned events, and sometimes from industry groups. This practice of journalists receiving payments from industry groups, known as … How Tamar Haspel Misleads Readers of the Washington Post

SciBabe says eat your pesticides. But who is paying her?

Stacy Malkan | March 31, 2018

Blogging under the name SciBabe, Yvette d’Entremont defends toxic chemicals in food products and promotes pesticides as safe. She has received funding and honoraria from a variety of companies and industry groups. In 2017, the artificial sweetener company SPLENDA hired SciBabe to “debunk junk science” in defense of their product.SciBabe has been a featured speaker … SciBabe says eat your pesticides. But who is paying her?

Genetic Literacy Project: PR front for Monsanto, Bayer and the chemical industry

Stacy Malkan | July 14, 2022

Genetic Literacy Project and its founder Jon Entine partner with corporations to promote and defend GMOs and pesticides. Bayer paid the Genetic Literacy Project $100,000 in fiscal year 2020-2021.

Gates-funded ‘Alliance for Science’ accused of peddling misinformation

Stacy Malkan | September 18, 2023

The Alliance for Science is a public relations campaign that trains spokespeople and creates networks of influence, particularly in African countries, to persuade the public and policymakers to accept GMOs and pesticides. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the effort in 2014 with a $5.6 million grant and has since donated $22 million to … Gates-funded ‘Alliance for Science’ accused of peddling misinformation

Glyphosate spin check: Tracking claims about the most widely used herbicide

Stacy Malkan | April 26, 2019

Amid global debate over the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides such as Monsanto’s Roundup, numerous claims have been made to defend the product’s safety. In the wake of two recent landmark jury rulings that found Roundup to be a substantial factor in causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we examined some of these claims and fact-checked them for accuracy. … Glyphosate spin check: Tracking claims about the most widely used herbicide

Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

Biology Fortified Inc., known as “Biofortified,” is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the agrichemical industry and its collaborators on public relations and lobbying campaigns to defend genetically engineered foods and pesticides, and attack industry critics. Board members and bloggers are key agrichemical industry allies Current and former board members and blog authors listed … Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

Stacy Malkan | June 20, 2023

Kevin Folta, Ph.D., a professor in the Horticulture Sciences Department at University of Florida, has provided inaccurate information and engaged in misleading activities in his efforts to promote genetically engineered foods and pesticides. He is a senior contributing columnist to the Genetic Literacy Project, a chemical industry promotion group that receives funding from Bayer. He … The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

AgBioChatter: Where Corporations, Academics Plotted Strategy on GMOs, Pesticides

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

AgBioChatter is a private email listserver used by the agrichemical industry and its allies to coordinate messaging and lobbying activities. List members include pro-industry academics, senior agrichemical industry staff and public relations operatives. This internal Monsanto document identifies “Academics (AgBioChatter)” as a Tier 2 “industry partner” in Monsanto’s public relations plan to discredit the World … AgBioChatter: Where Corporations, Academics Plotted Strategy on GMOs, Pesticides

Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting

Stacy Malkan | November 11, 2020

Originally posted May 2019; updated November 2020 Public relations firms Bayer AG and Monsanto relied on to deflect cancer concerns about glyphosate — including FTI consulting, Ketchum PR and FleishmanHillard — have long histories of using deceptive tactics to promote pesticide, tobacco and oil industry interests. Updates FTI Consulting’s shady tactics for the oil industry: Based on … Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting

Pamela Ronald’s Ties to Chemical Industry Front Groups

Stacy Malkan | December 27, 2018

Founded, led UC Davis group that elevated industry PR efforts Dr. Ronald was the founding director of the World Food Center’s Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy (IFAL), a group launched in 2014 at UC Davis to train faculty and students to promote genetically engineered foods, crops and pesticides. The group does not fully disclose … Pamela Ronald’s Ties to Chemical Industry Front Groups

Keeping Secrets From Consumers: Labeling Law a Win for Industry-Academic Collaborations

Carey Gillam | July 15, 2016

You’ve heard the mantra over and over – there are no safety concerns associated with genetically engineered crops. That refrain, music to agrichemical and biotech seed industry ears, has been sung repeatedly by U.S. lawmakers who have just passed a national law that allows companies to avoid stating on food packages if those products contain … Keeping Secrets From Consumers: Labeling Law a Win for Industry-Academic Collaborations

Journalists Failed to Disclose Sources’ Funding from Monsanto: A Short Report

Gary Ruskin | November 24, 2015

Following a Columbia Journalism Review article on whether science journalists should accept money from corporate interests, and whether there is adequate disclosure of sources’ corporate ties and conflicts of interest, U.S. Right to Know reviewed recent articles to assess how often journalists and columnists quote academic sources without stating that they are funded by the … Journalists Failed to Disclose Sources’ Funding from Monsanto: A Short Report

A Short Report on Journalists Mentioned in our FOIA Requests

Gary Ruskin | September 28, 2015

Also see: Buckraking on the Food Beat: When is it a conflict of interest? Washington Post Food Columnist Goes to Bat for Monsanto On September 23rd, Washington Post food columnist Tamar Haspel admitted to receiving “plenty” of money from pro-agrichemical industry sources. Following her admission, I thought it might be useful to report on journalists … A Short Report on Journalists Mentioned in our FOIA Requests

Following an Email Trail: How a Public University Professor Collaborated on a Corporate PR Campaign

Carey Gillam | January 29, 2016

By Carey Gillam Former University of Illinois food science professor Bruce Chassy is known for his academic gravitas. Now retired nearly four years, Chassy still writes and speaks often about food safety issues, identifying himself with the full weight of the decades of experience earned at the public university and as a researcher at the … Following an Email Trail: How a Public University Professor Collaborated on a Corporate PR Campaign

University of Florida Sued for Failure to Release Public Records on Agrichemical Industry

Gary Ruskin | July 11, 2017

News Release For Immediate Release:Tuesday, July 11, 2017 For More Information Contact: Gary Ruskin (415) 944-7350 Food industry watchdog group U.S. Right to Know filed a lawsuit today to compel the University of Florida to comply with public records requests about the university’s relationship with agrichemical companies that produce genetically engineered seeds and pesticides. “We … University of Florida Sued for Failure to Release Public Records on Agrichemical Industry

Fearful Food Industry Jeopardizing Public’s Right to Information

Carey Gillam | January 5, 2016

I just don’t get it. Over the more than 20 years I have worked as a business journalist, I’ve always been motivated by a simple premise: Knowledge is power, and that power belongs with the public. The spread of information that people can use to make decisions – what to buy, what to eat, where … Fearful Food Industry Jeopardizing Public’s Right to Information

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