Tuesday
Sep062011
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill The blooming Heather
Sep 6, 2011 FOI Heather Brooke is on form again, with a perceptive piece about civil servants' use of aggressive PR tactics to try to silence critics, with particular reference to UEA.
It seems there is another tactic gaining strength whereby PRs attempt to silence those uttering inconvenient truths 'Scientology-style' by hunting down criticism and aggressively seeking to have it withdrawn.
I wonder if she knows Bob?
Reader Comments (16)
Rare indeed that I agree with Grauniad journalists, but Heather Brooke seems to be intelligent and can write a good story.
Perhaps she will next address herself to the beam in her employer's eye - the severe suppression of free speech at what is ironically called 'Climate is Free'
Let's hope that she decides to examine Pachauri's activities...
However, MET office fortran models are indicating a change in a bright journalist's employment circumstances.
I wonder if she knows Bob?
I don't know, but I expect the mysterious Annie who wrote the complaint, probably does
I wonder if she knows Bishop Hill?
This is a brilliant article and it puts climategate back centre stage where it belongs. I think that history will pin much of the conspiracy (and that is what it is) on the shoulders of Professor P Jones and that he will consign his supporters (including Paul Nurse) to the dustbin where they belong.
I'd keep an eye on this young lady. She has talent, is not afraid to fight her corner and, I suspect, does not suffer fools gladly.
I have a feeling that this kind of thing is how the dam will finally begin to crack on the CAGW scam.
Young journalists will get involved on the fringes of the story, and as they begin to investigate simply won't be able to believe what they are seeing. Then, at some point, the 'bystander effect' will kick in and others will raise their heads, scent blood in the water and want to be part of the biggest story of our generation.
But then again...
A pulitzer prize awaits some enterprising journalist. This story is unbelievable.
Since I currently live in the US, will use an American phrase:
"You go girl!!!"
I sure hope she has access to a photocopier for her CV -- it seems unlikely she will prosper long at The Guardian if she continues to write heretical tracts like this....
Or is The Guardian belatedly trying to negotiate its way back to climate credibility?
Agree with everyone above. A great , well argued article and her response to the UEA is brilliant. Is she the UK's Donna Laframboise? I hope Heather digs further into the climate scam.
It is great to see this, i.e. real journalism at last. Kudos to Heather. I just hope it won't be a case of "Will ye go lassie go..." wrt her job at the Guardian.
I suppose she's thinking straight but she sure isn't writing straight. "[...] PRs attempt to silence those uttering inconvenient truths 'Scientology-style' [...]" says the exact opposite of what she clearly intended. No Pulitzer awaits sloppy writing like that.
Is she the Heather Brooke that winkled out the details of PM's expenses?
@Dreadnought
Yes - it is that same Heather. I think she is a freelance, so the amount of arm-twisting available to the grauniadofascisti is limited. And would you try to manipulate such a strong character...knowing that your every move would be in print the next day?
Roy, I think 'scientology style' is an adverb modifying 'silence' rather than an adjective modifying 'inconvenient truths'. But it does take reading it twice to get that meaning.
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