"PUBLIC RELATIONS MANIPULATION OF SCIENCE"
The public today receives much of its information about science through the mass media, which is in turn heavily influenced by the concerns of advertisers and public relations. At their core, however, advertising and public relations rely on assumptions that are antithetical to science. The ideological underpinning of the scientific endeavor is a belief that "the truth is out there" and that it can be grasped through rational human inquiry. By contrast, "spin" is the art of arranging appearances, not substance. As advertising executive Jack Trout observes, "Marketing is a battle of perception, not products. Truth has no bearing on the issue."
The power that science wields in modern society is a reflection
of its ability to create knowledge that is as reliable as any product of
human endeavor. Its very prestige, however, also makes it an attractive
tool for public relations and marketing purposes. When public relations
recruits scientists to serve as "third party experts," however, the techniques
of PR function as a "meta-methodology" that can corrupt scientific institutions
and diminish the reputation of science itself.