Maryanne Demasi
© ABC TVCatalyst host Maryanne Demasi

Comment: This appears to be a clear case of corporate pressure being used to discredit a solid reporter from discussing the clear scientific evidence of the health dangers of electromagnetic radiation and censoring the rest of the public from the data provided in the show's episode. "Prominent scientists" who are really paid corporate shills tout the safety of Wi-Fi while at the same there exists significant evidence of the biological effects of EM radiation on humans. The scientists who attack anyone who points out these facts are merely doing what they are paid to do - lie to the public about the safety of EM radiation. They are deceitful liars who sell their allegiance to the highest bidder. The Sydney Morning Herald does not even conduct a balanced reporting on the subject either. They just repeat the lies and nonsense because they, too, are paid corporate shills. If they did any research, they would see the vast evidence showing the dangers of EM radiation.

The ABC will apologise to its viewers and review its science program Catalyst after an independent investigation found a controversial episode on the potential health risks of Wi-Fi that went to air earlier this year breached its editorial standards.

The damning finding - which will see reporter Maryanne Demasi suspended from on-air assignments until at least September - comes two years after a similar investigation slammed a Catalyst program questioning the use of cholesterol-reducing medications.

As with the earlier program on cholesterol, the Wi-Fi episode will be removed from the internet.

Prominent scientists attacked the February program at the time as scare-mongering and unscientific for questioning the links between Wi-Fi and brain tumours.

Now an investigation by the ABC's Audience and Consumer Affairs Unit has found it breached the broadcaster's standards.

"While accepting the importance of investigating public health issues relating to safety of technology, A&CA concluded that the episode breached the ABC's editorial policies standards on accuracy and impartiality," ABC director of television Richard Finlayson said.

"The ABC accepts the findings and acknowledges that errors were made in the preparation and ultimate approval of the program."

The review found "a number of inaccuracies within the program that had favoured the unorthodox view that mobile phones and Wi-Fi caused health impacts including brain tumours".

Mr Finlayson said the ABC would:
  • Make an announcement about the findings on Tuesday night's Catalyst.
  • Remove the episode, titled Wi-Fried?, from the Catalyst website.
  • Publish information about the findings on the Catalyst website and ABC Corrections page.
More broadly, the ABC will review the strategy and direction for the popular program. Until that review is completed in September, Dr Demasi, who also fronted the cholesterol program, will not be part of any on-air assignments.

Rodney Croft, a global authority on the health effects of radiation and professor of public health psychology at the University of Wollongong, said at the time that the program had given weight to "a fringe position that is not supported by science".

"I was particularly disappointed to see Wi-Fried aired yesterday in the guise of science journalism," he said.

"Given that radiof requency emissions are one of the most heavily researched agents that science has ever assessed, and given that (contrary to Catalyst's claims) no substantiated health effects have emerged, we can be very confident that the emissions are indeed safe," Professor Croft said.


Comment: That is a patently false statement to make. How can someone who lies so easily be a "global authority" on anything. And why is that giving weight to the idea that EMF radiation is dangerous a "fringe position". What does that even matter? If it's possible that EMF radiation negatively affects humans, then it should be studied, regardless of how many "authorities" have declared its safety. This professor declares the sanctity of science, yet science itself is corrupted by corporate influence and governmental interference:

In 2013, ABC health specialist Norman Swan launched an extraordinary attack onCatalyst, saying two broadcasts on cholesterol and heart attacks might cause people to die if they went off their medications.

In May 2014, the ABC removed both episodes from the Catalyst website after an investigation found one program had breached the broadcaster's editorial standards.