UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Recently, a friend sent me a news item in which a doctor was referred to as a “public health expert,” which sent him into a paroxysm of anger. He pointed out that the guy was not one, and he was right. 

Indeed, some local media practitioners are guilty of lack of verification of statements for accuracy and the truth (Veritas: Latin for truth). They just swallow the claims hook, line and sinker, with resultant great harm especially when it comes to public health. Hence, we have self-proclaimed “public health experts” who make false claims about vaccines causing deaths etc., which led to loss of confidence in vaccines. The result is low vaccination rates that lowered herd immunity leading to the  measles, diphtheria and pertussis outbreaks in the past several years that unnecessarily cost of lives, mainly children. 

These false prophets should be charged with crimes against humanity for the great harm they have done in fomenting doubt and fear that led to outbreaks and epidemics.

If a person says he is a cardiologist, don’t just take his word for it. How does one verify such claims? His curriculum vitae (CV) should list his medical schooling, post-graduate training in internal medicine in reputable training institutions accredited by the specialty society that assures of quality and competency of the graduates of such training programs. After training, one should also pass the certifying examinations, given by the specialty board, for which he is issued a certificate as a specialist in Internal Medicine. A fellowship in cardiology should be taken and the subspecialty certifying examination passed. When asked for proof, he must be able to show  his diplomas and board certifications. Failing that, one can turn to the specialty society/organization and ask for a statement to that effect. Only then can you be certain of his qualifications. 

Speaking of  public health experts, there are masteral courses leading to a degree of Master of Public Health, MPH. Further studies can be pursued leading to a PhD in public health. Public health also has many other disciplines such as biostatistics, health policy, environmental health etc. In other words, it’s not enough to say you’re a public health expert. You have to show your credentials in that field, not another field of medicine, like Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, OB-GYN, etc. If you pose as a public health expert using a different field of medicine you trained in, it’s called epistemic trespassing. Simply stated, you’re a bogus expert in public health.

Forensics is a field that tends to get confusing. 

When media practitioners refer to a person as a forensic expert, what field of forensics is he an expert in? The field of forensic science is so broad and has many areas of expertise. Forensic pathology is one field that requires training and certification in anatomic pathology plus an additional year of training in forensic pathology. Other forensic sciences are forensic genealogy, forensic dentistry, forensic anthropology, forensic entomology, fibers analysis, and so many more fields of forensic expertise. Is he any of these?

Thus, journalists need to do more to ensure the news they deliver is verifiable. Social media is rife with fake news, so it is all the more important to check and cross-check with reliable websites. Although deadlines must be met, there is no substitute for reporting the true story. Information on verification can be found on these sources online: DataJournalism.com, www.researchgate.net, Columbia Journalism Review and much more.

For journalists, there are three factors to consider in verification, according to DataJournalism.com:

1. “A person’s resourcefulness, persistence, skepticism and skill;

2. “Sources’ knowledge, reliability and honesty, and the number, variety and reliability of sources you can find and persuade to talk; 

3. “Documentation.”

To these, I will add integrity and adherence to the truth, no matter who gets hurt.

Lesson: Check with professional organizations before calling someone an “expert” in whatever field he claims to be. There are reliable online sources for these organizations.