MEDIA
First Seresto class action filed
The first class-action lawsuit to cite the dubious and fervently discredited Seresto story published earlier this month was filed against Elanco Animal Health Inc., the manufacturer of Seresto flea and tick collars, on Monday. The Seresto story, published by USA Today on March 2, alleges that Seresto collars are linked to almost 1700 dog and […]
*Update: Elanco says “Legal action is under evaluation.” Collargate Part IV: Elanco mum on whether company is seeking legal redress, corrections to stories alleging Seresto collars are killers
*Update* Speaking by phone late Friday afternoon, Elanco spokeswoman Colleen Dekker told TCR that Elanco has a longstanding policy of not discussing “legal matters externally.” However, she added on the record, “legal action is under evaluation.”
Deconstructing “ad-free”
Here is a “partnership proposal” someone sent TCR this morning. We are publishing the email in full with redactions to protect the identity of the sender because the intent here is not to humiliate someone trying to make a living.
We hope you take the time to read this “Partnership Proposal” and to appreciate the fact that the vast majority of online editorial content is produced according to exactly the same model as what this email is proposing.
COLLARGATE Part 3: News outlet responds after veterinarians debunk Seresto story, Gannett still mum
TCR received a response from The Midwest Center late Friday afternoon, which we are publishing in full with our response.
Gannett, USA Today editors still mum on disputed Seresto report as writer doubles down
It’s been one week since the Internet was set ablaze by a story about Seresto flea and tick collars, which we dubbed COLLARGATE because of criticism from veterinarians and what we saw as holes in the reporting and editing process. Last Tuesday, March 2, the editors at America’s largest newspaper chain, Gannett, hit “Publish” on […]
Pet food company responsible for 70+ dog deaths hires veterinarian with ties to team helping FDA investigate it
Who better for a company to hire for outreach to grief-stricken owners who feel betrayed than a respected veterinarian with ties to the academics helping to investigate the company?
NBC News Publishes High Traffic Pet Food Puffery
NBC News posted an article to its website about premium dog food upstarts that soon became one of the most viewed articles about dogs on the Internet that day and through the weekend. The story, which discloses at the outset that NBC receives a fee each time any person clicks on any of the products mentioned in the story, offers no evaluations from veterinarians…..
VIN News Refuses To Issue Correction
TCR is requesting a correction or clarification in a VIN News story by reporter Edie Lau. Lau has not yet made any changes to her story, nor has she responded to TCR’s most recent e-mail. TCR is publishing the exchange with Lau in full:
News Media Run False COVID-19 Dog Story, Refuse To Correct It
Last month, a North Carolina family and their dog, Winston, became overnight celebrities when some of the country’s major news outlets unleashed a false and misleading story about the dog being the first in the United States to become infected with COVID-19 after Duke researchers mistakenly identified the virus in the dog as part of […]
Exclusive: USDA Says Its Testing Does Not Verify SARS-CoV-2 in North Carolina Family Dog, Contrary to Deluge of National Media Reports
USDA Says Its Testing Does NOT Verify SARS-CoV-2 in North Carolina Family Dog, Contrary to Deluge of National Media Reports Four weeks ago today, a family’s dog in North Carolina named Winston became an overnight celebrity when the news media declared that Winston was positive for Coronavirus. Chapel Hill pug tests positive for coronavirus; first […]
