>Hi Geoff, > >Thanks for your respect. > >Weirdly, the popular media seemed much more interested in my work before I >had amassed hard scientific evidence and trekked off on my exciting global >eco-detective escapades. I find this strange because global treks and >successful experiments are far more appealing from a journalistic perspective >than a mere farmer's theory - as it was in the early days !! > >Well, from having very good press in the early days, I then started to get >some slightly negative publicity once the labour government got into power in >the UK ( strange !! ), so I have virtually concentrated on making good >progress in my field and lab research projects since then and forgotten about >popular media, concentrating on getting published in science journals, etc. > >However, there has been some very, very misrepresentative stuff going out in >the UK media about my work so I am looking for someone to run a good solid >update piece which opens up the dialogue again. > The current UK public misconception being that my theory is no longer being >discussed because it is flawed - because some medical spin docter hack from >the Times or Telegraph has mislead the nation by publishing some unilateral >ministerial diktat on my work without ever consulting my side of the story. >But the irony is that the reality surrounding the current credibility status >of my work is that it is now supported by much positive experimental data >from around the world - but nobody knows this - I am just crucified in the >nationals as the crank with the theory that was disproven (but the >journalists have to change my theory in order to achieve that position . Or >perhaps more accurately, the hard pressed conveyor belt journalists are fed >the government press releases or contrived "leaks" which they don't want to >question or counter / rock the boat because they do not want to upset the >people on whom they depend the flow of daily stories for them !! ). > >Basically, I am trying to get publishers interested in a book that I will >write which builds up this scientific discovery ( I do not want to sound vain >here !! ) through a colourful and creative format of my eco-detective journey >around the world, inclusive of all the amazing "on the ground" people I have >met on route who have helped me forge the milestones of my mission, etc. They >will get the credit for this discovery, not the armada of bowtied golfing >professors who cruise around from conference to conference on multinational >money , donkeybacking their students' s every creative leap,etc. > >I also think there is room for another good film , or good impartial feature >article which charters my research tour planned for this coming year, where I >am sampling in three TSE cluster areas and one TSE-free location ( of close >characteristics to the TSE regions ) across the USA (from mid April ), doing >research on Japanese BSE farms and with the Australian Aboriginees on this Mn >contaminated island, etc > > >Hope this explains my current predicament re publicity. In a nutshell, I only >consider that respectable bursts of publicity in the media are worth while >putting effort into, thus I no longer prostitute myself to the quick fix news >flashes - they are just not worth the grief of the inevitable >misrepresentation - the energy is better spent on research or better still , >one's family.......who I try not to forget about,,, they have tolerated so >much grief !! > >Best, > >Mark
