Vice Media Takes a Cheap Pot-shot at the TrialSite’s Censorship Allegation

TrialSite News has, off and on, faced what we feel are biased critiques that arise whenever we cover news that can be seen as contrary to the COVID-19-era orthodoxy that only official experts, and stories in line with their narratives, have anything legitimate to say. On the other hand, we feel that science proceeds best when both institutional and independent experts are allowed to talk—both likely have things to teach each other. A focal point here is that some in the mainstream media are taking the view that the news consumer is too susceptible to misinformation for a free flow of ideas to be practicable. We disagree; an informed public and informed professionals are sensible enough to take in different views without blindly accepting them. In a sense, the nature of our society going forward is at stake: are we a free people equal in rights, or are we merely consumer units to be pushed and prodded as deemed fit? As is normal, the latest critique comes from the media, as opposed to experts or medical groups. This is a continuation of what started as political censorship and has now moved into science and medicine: media going out of their way to “debunk” competitors in a biased manner. The latest broadside against medical freedom of speech came on July 1 from Vice Media (VICE). What’s apparent, however, is how little this New York-based media company actually knows about biomedical research and healthcare. Ironically, the very Titans of tech that TrialSite laments are repressing valid scientific dissention, will ultimately take out Vice itself, in a digital vice grip of financial demise. That’s right, Google and Facebook rule the advertising roost and successive waves of Vice layoffs and downsizings undoubtedly point to more reorganizations and, unfortunately, for what was a cool, hip and edgy media asset, now ever more half-baked analyses, such as the one that included the recent pot-shot at TrialSite.