Maryanne Demasi

Dr. Maryanne Demasi is a controversial Australian science reporter and presenter with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Catalyst television show. She completed a doctorate in medical research at the University of Adelaide and worked for a decade as a research scientist specialising in rheumatoid arthritis research at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Demasi has also worked as an advisor to the South Australian Government's Minister for Science and Information Economy. She has become prominent for controversial television stories ^[1] that contributed to the cancellation of the ABC's weekly Catalyst program and axing of its staff.^[2]

Catalyst Controversies

Statin report

Demasi produced and presented two controversial episodes of the science program Catalyst in October 2013, which questioned the link between cholesterol, cholesterol-reducing medication and ill-health.^[3] A large number of individuals and professional organisations within the medical and scientific community responded to the show negatively^[4] and the National Heart Foundation of Australia published a nine-page rebuttal of the claims presented in the program.^[5] Demasi was accused of bias by ABC's MediaWatch program^[6] and received criticism from national newspapers for incomplete and biased coverage of life-threatening health issues.^[7][8][9] In response to these allegations, Demasi claimed that participants in the program had been presented with her material and agreed with her interpretation.^[10] The National Heart Foundation responded, saying that Demasi had not presented the research,^[11] ignored and mis-interpreted the information provided, and selectively edited quotes to invert their meaning. In May 2014 the ABC removed the two episodes from its website.^[12] after an internal review found that both programs met the ABC editorial standards for factual accuracy, though a section in the second episode breached standards of impartiality. The report also found that the programs were not found to cause any undue harm to the public and took adequate steps to ensure people did not cease their medications without consulting their doctor.^[13] Despite the finding of the ABC's report, the MJA claimed that there was a temporary increase in discontinuation of statins and a sustained decrease in the dispensing of statins immediately following the broadcast of the program.^[14]

Dr Demasi disputed claims that her program "could cause death" and published a rebuttal.^[15] According to a Cochrane systematic review on statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), “the decision for patients at low risk for CVD to initiate or continue statin therapy for primary prevention remains under the purview of patients and their physicians".^[16]

Wi-Fried

Demasi produced a report in a February 2016 episode of Catalyst called "Wi-Fried" on Wi-Fi and cellphone safety. In her report she details the scientific debate about health effects from low level exposures and she raises questions about the long term effects of low level microwave exposures in schools. Her report shows a school where the Wi-Fi routers are turned off when not in use to reduce microwave radiation exposure. Her report was described as unbalanced by Media Watch,^[17] criticised by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)^[18] and in the media by groups and scientists who have long believed it is impossible for microwave radiation to have effects at low levels.^{[19][20][21][22][23]} Demasi defended her report in an article in The Guardian^[24] and responded to specific criticism in the Huffington Post.^[25] Catalyst also defended the episode in a letter to Media Watch.^[26] Maryanne Demasi has since been stood down as a reporter till at least September 2016 and the program, 'Catalyst' is under review. A public on-air apology statement was broadcast on the ABC on 5 July 2016 and the episode has been withdrawn from the ABC's online site.

Awards

Demasi has been awarded National Press Club of Australia prizes in 2008, 2009 and 2011 for 'Excellence in Health Journalism'.^[27][28][29] In 2014 Demasi, was a finalist in the Association of International Broadcasting Awards for her Catalyst programme "Toxic Sugar", subsequently won by David Attenborough.^[30]

Compensation claim

In 2014 while working from home, she went out running and subsequently had an accident and broke her hip. In 2016 She attempted to claim workers compensation for the injury, but the claim was rejected.^[31]

References

External links

• Biography page on the ABC website