Scientific Integrity in the News

Text SizeA A A

Hundreds of science journals, newspapers, radio and television stations have written or editorialized about the issue of scientific integrity. Below is a sampling of media coverage that mentions political interference in science or the Union of Concerned Scientists' work to restore scientific integrity into policy making.

For articles prior to 2007, please visit our news archives.

You will find newspaper articles directly below, sorted chronologically. Please click here to jump down to coverage of scientific integrity on television and radio.
And don't forget to also check out scientific integrity cartoons!

2009

August 10: "EPA: Jackson orders full staff cooperation with agency auditors" (E&E)
August 5: “Expert panel offers advice on separating science, politics” (E&E)
July 29: “Groups press EPA to toughen NO2 proposal” (E&E, subscription only)
July 21: “The next giant leap for mankind” (Philadelphia Daily News)
July 20: “U.S. Withheld Data on Risks of Distracted Driving” (New York Times)
July 18: “A Mottle of Transparency” (CQ Weekly)
July 9: “Private Money, Public Disclosure” (Science, subscription only)
July 1: “Dude where’s my war on science?” (Science Progress)
June 24: “Consumers, Scientists Tell FDA to Explain Agency Decisions” (The Dow Jones)
June 16: “Obama blocks access to White House visitor list. Taking Bush’s position, administration denies msnbc.com request for logs” (MSNBC)
June 12: “EPA chemical database rules a political hazard, critics say” (Los Angeles Times)
June 9: “It’s a Senate lovefest for the EPA” (Nature)
June 4: “Scientific American” (The National)
May 22: “EPA: ‘Green chemistry’ champion chosen to lead R&D” (E&E, subscription only)
May 22: “EPA to restore scientific review process” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
May 22: “Obama overturns (another) Bush EPA policy” (Nature)
May 21: “U.S. to rely more on scientists for air rules” (Reuters)
May 20: “Follow the Science on Yucca” (New York Times)
May 20: “Preventing the Next Crisis: The Case for Boring Banks” (Washington Post)
May 3: “A new commitment to science” (Times Free Press)
April 29: “Obama Earns Praise for Green Action in First 100 Days” (Environmental News Service)
April 28: “Scientific Consultations Under Endangered Species Act Restored” (Environmental News Service)
April 27: “Scientists seek endangered species changes” (UPI)
April 23: “Public comments sought for science memo” (National Journal’s Nextgov)
April 20: “Measure to relax rules on selenium pushed by coal industry” (Knoxville News Sentinel)
April 6: “Floods, mold, cancer, and the politics of public health” (Online Journal)
April 2: “Some Obama promises get punted” (The Hill)
March 19: “The Enlightenment Returns” (Science, subscription only)
March 17: “New president called on to provide government information” (Yuma Sun.com)
Mar 15: "A Move Toward Bias-Free Science" (Op Ed in Philadelphia Inquirer)
March 15: “A move toward bias-free science” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Mar 13: "Whistleblowers Press Congress: Protect Us" (ABC News)
March 12: “Is Obama Restoring ‘Scientific Integrity’?” (Scripps News)
Mar 11: "Scientists Applaud New Direction" (Columbus Dispatch)
Mar 10: "Ignoring Science at the Forest Service" (Charleston Gazette)
Mar 9: "Ending the War on Science?" (MSNBC)
Mar 9: "Obama Puts His Own Spin on Mix of Science With Politics" (New York Times)
Mar 6: "Political Lobbying Drove FDA Process" (Wall Street Journal)
Mar 4: "Obama Reverses Bush on Species Protection Measure" (Washington Post)
Feb 25: "How the Obama Administration Is Giving a New Push to Science" (U.S. News and World Report)
Feb 20: "Ramping Up Science: Obama Promises Prompt Cheers" (Worcester Telegram)
Feb 12: "Can Interior Sec. Ken Salazar Win Over Critics?" (Newsweek - Web Exclusive)
Feb 3: "On Science & The Fearsome OMB" (Science News)
Jan 22: "Scientists Welcome Obama's Words" (New York Times)
Jan 15: "EPA nominee vows to follow science" (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Jan 11: "FDA Is Lax on Oversight During Trials, Inquiry Finds" (New York Times)
Jan 4: "Obama offers new hope for science" (Toronto Star)

Back to Top

2008

Dec 15: "Report Finds Meddling in Interior Dept. Actions" (New York Times)
Dec 11: "Bush Revises Protections for Endangered Species" (AP in LiveScience)
Dec 11: "Whistleblowers May Have a Friend in the Oval Office" (Washington Post)
Dec 7: "An Eroding Mission at EPA" (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Nov 3: "Former EPA investigator blows whistle on Alaska oil spill" (Northwest Cable News)
Oct 31: "A Last Push to Deregulate" (Washington Post)
Oct 20: "More Sadness for Appalachia" (New York Times)
Oct 17: "Agencies Rated on Scientific Candor" (Washington Post)
Oct 15: "Bush Rule Changes Could Block Product-Safety Suits" (The Wall Street Journal)
Oct 13: "Gift to Center Headed by FDA Panel Chairman Raises Questions" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Oct 9: "Scientists send letter decrying 'politicization of science'" (Canadian Press in The Globe and Mail)
Oct 7: "Fuming Over Formaldehyde" (Los Angeles Times)
Sept 24: "Groups Seek Whistle-Blower Protection in Bailout Legislation" (Washington Post)
Sept 17: "Study Links Chemical BPA to Health Problems" (Washington Post)
July 23: "EPA Decision Making Is Criticized" (Wall Street Journal)*
June 5: "Plan to save whales strangling in red tape" (CNN)
June 8: "Bush's failure as Scientist in Chief" (San Francisco Science Examiner)
May 24: "Science relegated to opinion by an increasingly toxic EPA" (Tennessean editorial)
May 8: "Toxic thinking by EPA chiefs" (Lompoc Record editorial)
April 6: "Skeptics don’t gnaw at Wally Wolverine" (Sierra Sun editorial)
Mar 14: "Ozone case shows Bush meddling in science" (Reuters)
Jan 30: "Study Finds Government Ethics Lapses" (Washington Post)
Jan 29: "Lawmakers Fault FEMA on Trailers" (Washington Post)
Jan 29: "FEMA covered up cancer risks to Katrina victims" (Salon)
Jan 22: "US censors Arctic scientists' findings as it prepares for oil and gas auction" (The Independent - UK)
Jan 16: "U.S. Dominance in Science and Technology at Risk, Report Says" (New York Times)
Jan 13: "White House Secrecy Starts to Give" (Washington Post)
Jan 11: "Voters Petition for Presidential Science Debate" (National Public Radio)

Back to Top

2007

Dec 27: "Conservationists sue gov't for records" (AP in ABC News)
Dec 11: "Climate Science Manipulation Alleged" (AP)
Dec 1: "Advisers Say F.D.A.'s Flaws Put Lives at Risk" (New York Times)
Dec 3: "Spotted owl, marbled murrelet decisions to be examined" (AP in Seattle Times)
Dec 2: "Endangered Truth: Exposing the Administration’s Lies on Science" (The Daily Camera, CO)
Nov 28: "Agency reverses endangered species rulings" (CNN)
Nov 26: "When Protectors Become Predators" (In These Times)
Nov 16: "Scientists Fault Climate Exhibit Changes" (Washington Post)
Nov 14: "Meat Treatment Got Approval Despite Safety Concerns" (Washington Post)
Nov 1: "The war on whistle-blowers" (Salon.com)
Oct 30: "Cancer Crusader Tells 'Secret History' of War" (Bloomberg News)
Sept 30: "The White House vs. mother's milk" (Los Angeles Times)
Sept 9: "A Legacy Bush Can Control" (New York Times)
Aug 14: "OMB Hits the Brakes on Right Whale Rule" (Washington Post)
July 24: "Endangered species rulings under review" (AP in USA Today)
July 19: "FEMA Suppressed Health Warnings for Workers, Katrina Victims" (Washinton Post)
July 10: "Former Bush Surgeon General Says He Was Muzzled" (Reuters)
June 27: "Leaving No Tracks" (Washington Post)
June 17: "Diabetes drug to get 'black box' warning in US" (New Scientist)
June 11: "Judge blocks grazing rules on federal lands" (MSNBC)
June 1: "Does Politics Influence the CDC?" (ABC News)

Back to Top

Interference with Endangered Species Science (2007)
Over the last two years there have been dozens of cases of political interference in the science behind the Endangered Species Act.

2007

July 25: "Did Cheney interfere with Endangered Species Act?" (Christian Science Monitor)
July 24: "Endangered species rulings under review" (AP in USA Today)
July 10: "Interior's Incomplete Ethics Policy" (New York Times editorial)
July 5: "Critics say species list is endangered" (Los Angeles Times)
June 28: "Dems: Investigate Cheney for role in salmon die-off" (Seattle Times)
June 27: "Leaving No Tracks" (Washington Post)
June 14: "Only Wild Fish Matter in 'Endangered' Count, Judge Rules" (New York Times)
May 17: "Delisting of eagles could be unlawful" (The Arizona Republic)
May 2: "Interior Dept. Official Facing Scrutiny Resigns" (Washington Post)
April 30: "Spotted Owl: Stick with science" (Seattle Post-Intetelligencer editorial)
March 31: "Extinct Sense" (Washington Post Editorial)
March 30: "Report Faults Interior Appointee" (Washington Post)
March 29: "Report Says Interior Official Overrode Work of Scientists" (New York Times)
March 27: "Inside the secretive plan to gut the Endangered Species Act" (Salon)
March 13: "FWS memo makes polar bears a taboo topic" (Federal Times)
March 11: "The censorship of science undermines democracy" (Op Ed by UCS's Francesca Grifo in the Salem Statesman Journal)

May 2007 House hearing on interference with endangered species science

"Democrats assail Bush administration over science meddling" (AP in North County Times)
"Experts: Politics trumped science" (Casper Star-Tribune)
"Data-tinkering review vowed" (Sacramento Bee)*
"Lawmakers Fault Interior Dept. on Endangered Species" (NPR)

2006

Dec 13: "Interior Department disregarding science in decisions" (Denver Post)
Nov 9: "Endangered Species" (Missoula Independent)
Nov 4: "Backlog puts imperilled species on 'death row'" (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
Nov 2: "Official changed or ignored data on species, activists say" (Salt Lake Tribune)
Nov 1: "Research cited in species decision" (Rocky Mountain News)
Oct 31: "Wildlife groups decry 'political' move" (Rocky Mountain News)
Oct 30: "Interior aide bars grouse's protection" (Denver Post)
Oct 30: "Protection of species criticized" (Contra Costa Times)
Oct 30: "Bush Appointee Said to Reject Advice on Endangered Species" (Washington Post)

Back to Top

Atmosphere of Pressure and related House hearing
In January of 2007, UCS released a report about political interference in the work of federal climate science. UCS's Francesca Grifo testified before a House panel about the results of the report.

"Political Heat: Questions for Drew Shindell" (New York Times Magazine)
"Muzzling of federal scientists must stop" (Op Ed by UCS Executive Director in Philadelphia Inquirer)
"Lawmakers on Hill Seek Consensus on Warming" (Washington Post)
"Has the White House interfered on global warming reports?" (Christian Science Monitor)
"Scientists Criticize White House Stance on Climate Change Findings" (New York Times)*
"House, Senate target climate change White House efforts to alter scientific reports draw rebuke" (San Francisco Chronicle)
"Warming data allegedly manipulated" (Chicago Tribune)
"U.S. Congress grapples with global warming and political pressure on scientists" (Canadian Press)
"Scientists say Bush stifled data on climate" (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
"House Opens Hearing on Climate Research" (Wall Street Journal)*
"White House climate documents sought" (Los Angeles Times)
"Waxman’s Kyoto Strategy" (National Review)
"US climate scientists pressured on climate change" (New Scientist)
"US government meddles in climate science: report" (RxPG News)
"Waxman: White House misled public on global warming" (Los Angeles Times)
"Capitol Hill pledges climate-change laws" (Denver Post)
"Scientists allege White House pressure" (Reuters)
"Survey: Bush Advisers Interfered in Climate Reports" (U.S. News and World Report)
"White House interfered in climate change report, lawmaker says" (Government Executive)