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{{lmgroup}}The '''Science Media Centre''' (SMC) is an "independent" media briefing centre for scientific issues, conceived and hosted by the [[Royal Institution]] starting in 2002, and enjoying close links with the British government. Its stated position is that it is not neutral, but "unashamedly pro-science".
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{{lmgroup}}The '''Science Media Centre''' (SMC) is an "independent" media briefing centre for scientific issues, conceived and hosted by the [[Royal Institution]] starting in 2002, and enjoying close links with the British government. Its stated position is that it is not neutral, but "unashamedly pro-science
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It was started and is still led by [[Fiona Fox]], a contributor to [[Living Marxism]] and an apologist for the 1994 mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu by the Hutu majority in Rwanda. Under the pseudonym Fiona Foster, she wrote a 1995 article arguing that "this was not a pre-planned genocide of one tribe by another" (Living Marxism/the [[LM Group]] also denied Serbian war crimes).<ref>Fiona Foster, [http://web.archive.org/web/20000308064904/www.informinc.co.uk/LM/LM85/LM85_Rwanda.html Massacring the Truth in Rwanda], ''Living Marxism'' (Issue 85), December 1995, archived by the WayBack Machine March 8, 2000.</ref><ref>Chris McGreal, [http://www.theguardian.com/comment/story/0,3604,181819,00.html Genocide? What Genocide?], ''The Guardian'', March 20, 2000.</ref> SMC and the related [[Institute of Ideas]] (headed by Fiona Fox's sister [[Claire Fox]]) and [[Spiked Online]] (both of which also have ties to the LM Group) all push [[genetically modified organisms]] (GMOs).<ref>Norfolk Genetic Information Network, [http://ngin.tripod.com/210602c.htm SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE DIRECTOR IS LIVING MARXISM GENOCIDE APOLOGIST], June 21, 2002.</ref>
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In January 2014, ''Independent Science News'' reported, "Imagine if the New York Times or NBC published, under appropriately scathing headlines, a full and detailed analysis of how GMO corporations perennially manipulate the scientific literature? . . . It is for just this reason that [[BASF]], [[Coca-Cola]], [[Merck]], [[L'Oreal]], [[Monsanto]], [[Syngenta]], Smith & Nephew, the [[Nuclear Industry Association]] and their competitors now support coordinated attempts to manage scientific news coverage in the form of the UK's Science Media Centre. And now, having decided that this method of information control is effective, or maybe that the threat from the internet is sufficiently serious, they are adding some international offshoots."<ref>Jonathan Latham, BioScience Resource Project, [http://www.independentsciencenews.org/science-media/fakethrough-gmos-and-the-capitulation-of-science-journalism/ Fakethrough! GMOs and the Capitulation of Science Journalism], ''Independent Science News'', January 7, 2014.</ref>
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In December 2013, the [[Education Media Centre]] was launched, modeled on the Science Media Centre but purportedly "independent."<ref>Fiona Fox, Science Media Centre, [http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/when-science-meets-education/ When Science Meets Education], organizational blog, December 16, 2013.</ref><ref>Education Media Centre, [http://educationmediacentre.org/what-is-emc/ What Is EMC], organizational website, accessed February 2014
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==History==
SMC briefly and inadvertently became part of the news during 2002, following its involvement in rebuttals of the ''BBC'' GM-sceptical drama '''Fields of Gold'''.
SMC briefly and inadvertently became part of the news during 2002, following its involvement in rebuttals of the ''BBC'' GM-sceptical drama '''Fields of Gold'''.
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The consultation interviewed a number of prominent, unbiased scientists and journalists, but also a number of people with clear bias, such as [[Tony Gilland]] of the [[Institute of Ideas]], [[David Sainsbury]], [[Lord Taverne]], [[Vivian Moses]] (Chair of [[CropGen]]), Andrew Gay of Huntingdon Life Sciences, and [[Peter Marsh]] of the [[Social Issues Research Centre]] (SIRC).
The consultation interviewed a number of prominent, unbiased scientists and journalists, but also a number of people with clear bias, such as [[Tony Gilland]] of the [[Institute of Ideas]], [[David Sainsbury]], [[Lord Taverne]], [[Vivian Moses]] (Chair of [[CropGen]]), Andrew Gay of Huntingdon Life Sciences, and [[Peter Marsh]] of the [[Social Issues Research Centre]] (SIRC).
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In December 2013, the [[Education Media Centre]] was launched, modeled on the Science Media Centre but purportedly "independent."<ref>Fiona Fox, Science Media Centre, [http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/when-science-meets-education/ When Science Meets Education], organizational blog, December 16, 2013.</ref><ref>Education Media Centre, [http://educationmediacentre.org/what-is-emc/ What Is EMC], organizational website, accessed February 2014.</ref>
==Personnel==
==Personnel==
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* [[Marshall Davies]] (Treasurer), Former President of the [[Royal Pharmaceutical Society]]
* [[Marshall Davies]] (Treasurer), Former President of the [[Royal Pharmaceutical Society]]
* [[Philip Greenish]], Chief Executive, [[Royal Academy of Engineering]]
* [[Philip Greenish]], Chief Executive, [[Royal Academy of Engineering]]
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[[
Tom Miller
]]
, Director of Communications and Development, [[Imperial College London]]
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* Tom Miller, Director of Communications and Development, [[Imperial College London]]
* [[Alex Denoon]], Partner, Lawford Davies Denoon
* [[Alex Denoon]], Partner, Lawford Davies Denoon
* Dr. [[Helen Munn]], Executive Director, [[Academy of Medical Sciences]]
* Dr. [[Helen Munn]], Executive Director, [[Academy of Medical Sciences]]
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[[
Jonathan Baker
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, Head of the [[BBC College of Journalism]]
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* Jonathan Baker, Head of the [[BBC College of Journalism]]
===Advisory Committee===
===Advisory Committee===