Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

CSIRO bows to the spin doctors

By Wendy Parsons - posted Monday, 20 June 2005


The national science agency CSIRO’s decision to gag its scientists is a blow to the institution’s 80-year record of scientific free speech in Australia. Denying the media, public and industry free access to scientific research which is 90 per cent funded by the public and much of it of high public interest, is also a slap in the face for the Australian community.

The freedom of scientists to speak out and share their knowledge and insights is one of the fundamentals of a modern knowledge-based democracy.

In its latest Policy on Public Comment, tabled in the Senate Estimates (pdf file 988KB) recently, CSIRO says its “staff are encouraged to communicate”. It then sets down no fewer than seven new prohibitions and restrictions to stop them doing so.

Advertisement

The first is, “No staff, other than those listed ... should comment to the media unless they have been granted permission to do so”. It turns out that those authorised are top management and the heads of CSIRO Divisions or Flagships. Around 1,800 other scientists are gagged, under pain of “disciplinary action”.

CSIRO is the organisation which has uncovered most of what we know about the continent of Australia - its animals and plants, its landscapes, waters, soils and geology. The free flow of its science has been in no small way responsible for the $90 billion in export income earned today by the farm, minerals and energy sectors.

It now seems that this knowledge is to be withheld from Australians, who actually own it, unless a senior CSIRO bureaucrat gives permission.

Under the new rules a CSIRO agricultural researcher attending a farmers’ field day is now prohibited from answering the question of an agricultural reporter at the same event, without first seeking permission from a head office hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away. An ABC or national daily journalist ringing up, on deadline, for informed comment on some major world scientific event will have to await the decision of the CSIRO censors before she or he can speak to a scientist.

In an on-record comment provided to the Senate Estimates Committee, CSIRO stated:

The Public Comment Policy … is simply a revised version of a previous organisational policy that has been in place for a number of years.

Advertisement

Not true! CSIRO scientists have never in the history of the organisation been subject to such restriction, prohibition and censorship as the new policy imposes, under overt threat of punishment.

To describe it as “simply revised” is a fresh sample of the spin which CSIRO’s senior management has been frequently charged with dishing out, in numerous national media over recent years. Reversed would be more truthful. Ravaged would be not inappropriate. Recidivist might even be entertained. But not “revised”.

From the public’s standpoint the most alarming aspect of this is that science carried out in the national interest, with public sanction and public money, now appears to be subject to the same kind of repression, avoidance of public scrutiny and spin that industry has long used to deny the findings of science.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

5 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Wendy Parsons is a Canberra-based communication specialist. Between 1997 and 2001, she was Deputy Director of CSIRO’s National Awareness Program.

Related Links
To gag or not to gag, what's CSIRO's policy?
Top ecologist slams CSIRO

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 5 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy