Comments on: University Tosses Professor Under the Bus to Satisfy Their Pharma Ties

By: Tamra Scherff

Tamra Scherff — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:27:34 +0000

Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is excellent blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:21:28 +0000

That picture is hilarious. If I weren’t cured of my incurable mental illness, then I would want someone like you as my shrink.

By: Stephany

Stephany — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:34:54 +0000

Love that picture. Emory has certainly brought on a flood of attention for bullying you about your blog, and I say at your expense, they are receiving some negative attention they didn’t plan on receiving!

They kind took that old persian rug, and rolled it back when they banned you from using their name here, because wow what’s under their rug? Oh, Nemeroff not reporting pharma money income, and Stowe, and oh yes, does the Dalai Lama report any COI? And they still pay Nemeroff, his big lofty paycheck. Blows my mind.

By: Doug Bremner

Doug Bremner — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:30:05 +0000

I think Jim Edwards who wrote the article was being tongue in cheek. He is right in that controversy is great for publicity, although that is not what they intended.

By: Amy Philo

Amy Philo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:07:43 +0000

Are they kidding, or are they serious: “Here’s a theory: Emory’s pr department is staffed with geniuses. Knowing that there’s no better publicity for a book than a conspiracy against it, they decided not to promote the book and annoy Bremner instead. With a built-in controversy in hand, Bremner can now earn many more headlines than he normally would. It’s already working.”

???
Emory University Department of Opposite Day and Conspiracy-Based PR?
???

By: Doug Bremner

Doug Bremner — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:59:53 +0000

I know it sounds weird I think I’ll change it, hard to write without actually saying the name of *the university*.

By: Marilyn Mann

Marilyn Mann — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:08:22 +0000

Doug,

I’m confused. The headline was “Emory Tosses Professor Under The Bus To Satisfy Their Pharma Ties.” The way you wrote it makes it sound like *you* have pharma ties.

Marilyn

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:04:29 +0000

Hope you and lol cat weren’t hurt!

By: HG

HG — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:20:58 +0000

Tricky stuff, I think.

A few weeks ago an MIT business prof wrote a “white paper” defending FDA preemption and listing all the apocalyptic things that would happen without it. This was timed to coincide with Congressional action to reverse the Riegel decision.

The “white paper” was–deliberately, I assume–released through a consulting group in the prof’s name, with no direct connection with MIT. Indeed, publicity about it was spearheaded by APCOworldwide, best known for its work on behalf of big tobacco and pharma. (The AP comes from Arnold & Porter, the legal knights of tobaccoland.)

In the meantime, the paper is now out there, and can be cited by anyone as a “study by an MIT professor.” So the goal was achieved of capitalizing on the reputation of MIT without MIT having anything directly to do with it.

Thus the magic of “public relations” (which is to lobbying/advertising what “sanitary engineering” is to garbage).

What is the moral of this story? I think the MIT prof was wise/well coached to create some insulation (however thin) between the piece and it being an “MIT study”. He didn’t need to say it. The preemption lobby could do it for him/them. And then all who quote the PR down the line, in the usual PR hall of smoke and mirrors.

That said, my sense is that there are useful, if nuanced and often subtle, ways in which one’s blog views (as opposed to scholarship in the usual sense) can be appropriately differentiated.

Of course, in the context of public universities (not MIT or Emory), the issue is even trickier when topics are highly politicized.

By: Anonymous4

Anonymous4 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:56:38 +0000

Yeah, dumb move on Emory’s part, since it really got them more publicity and highlighted how bone-headed they are.

Did they not realize that your sister is a lawyer?