Russian Sites Promote Anti-GMO Articles, Study Finds

[FarCenter]

Russian government-funded news websites RT and Sputnik are publishing articles that question the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) at a rate that far outpaces US news sites, according to a preprint posted to SocArXiv Tuesday (February 27). The study is under peer review.

While examining how GMOs are portrayed in US media, the researchers found that the US versions of RT and Sputnik produced more articles with the word “GMO” than five American websites—Huffington Post, Fox News, CNN, Breitbart News, and MSNBC—combined. RT produced 34 percent of the articles about GMOs across the seven sites, and Sputnik produced 19 percent. Fox News accounted for 15 percent of coverage, and MSNBC for less than 1 percent.

“Compared to a wide range of American news media, two Russian news agencies—RT and Sputnik—were more likely to report on GMOs and to cast GMOs in an explicitly or implicitly negative light,” study coauthor Shawn Dorius, a sociologist at Iowa State University, tells Gizmodo. “The evidence suggest[s] that the difference between Russian news concerning GMOs and US news on the same topic is not random.”

The vast majority of articles in which the term “GMO” appeared as clickbait were published by RT, the researchers found. For example, one RT article was titled “GMO mosquitoes could be cause of Zika outbreak, critics say.”

Dorius tells the Des Moines Register that turning US public opinion against GMOs “would have a clear negative effect on an industry in the U.S. and could advantage Russia.”

https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51959/title/Russian-Sites-Promote-Anti-GMO-Articles--Study-Finds

[CentralMass]

1. Russia along with 37 other countries have banned GMO crops. Why would this be unexpected?

https://sustainablepulse.com/2015/10/22/gm-crops-now-banned-in-36-countries-worldwide-sustainable-pulse-research/#.WpjWBHOIadM

[FarCenter]

2. It is further evidence of Russia using fake news to promote dissension, controversy and conflict

[dalton99a]

5. +1

[CentralMass]

6. Here is a link to some polling done by good old American ABC

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97567&page=1

Poll: Skepticism of Genetically Modified Foods
By ANALYSISBY GARY LANGER
June 19

"Barely more than a third of the public believes that genetically modified foods are safe to eat. Instead 52 percent believe such foods are unsafe, and an additional 13 percent are unsure about them. That's broad doubt on the very basic issue of food safety.""

"Nearly everyone, moreover — 93 percent — says the federal government should require labels on food saying whether it's been genetically modified, or "bio-engineered" (this poll used both phrases). Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.

Fifty-seven percent also say they'd be less likely to buy foods labeled as genetically modified. That puts the food industry in a quandary: By meeting consumer demand for labeling, it would be steering business away from its genetically modified products."

The image problem of genetically modified food is underscored by contrast to organic foods. While only five percent of Americans say they'd be more likely to buy a food labeled as genetically modified, 52 percent say they'd be more likely to buy food that's labeled as having been raised organically."

"With safety concerns widespread, Americans almost unanimously favor mandatory labels on genetically modified foods. And most say they'd use those labels to avoid the food.

Genetically modified foods are particularly unpopular among women, another problem for food producers since so many women do the family shopping.

Sixty-two percent of women think genetically modified foods are unsafe to eat, a view that's shared by far fewer men, 40 percent. Indeed a plurality of men think these foods are safe, while women disagree by better than 2-1."

"There's also a political difference. Republicans divide evenly on whether genetically modified foods are safe or unsafe. Independents rate them unsafe by a 20-point margin; Democrats, by a 26-point margin."

[Major Nikon]

10. Meanwhile the evidence that GMO is unsafe is nonexistent

So assuming the poll isn't just a push-poll (and it is), all it really shows is that the misinformation campaign of which RT is playing a significant role is working.

Interestingly the poll you referenced includes information which is complete bullshit:

Organic foods were described as raised "without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers or feed additives."

[CentralMass]

11. Everything that doesn't praise and promote GMO's is bullshit to you.

[Major Nikon]

14. Sure, just like those who call bullshit on the anti-vaxxers

Not surprisingly most of the anti-GMO nonsense comes from anti-vaxxers. After a few times of reviewing their posts and realizing it comes from cranks and loons, you start to suspect all of it.

Personally I’d just as soon leave the anti-science ratfuckery to the right. YMMV.

[Major Nikon]

4. Do you think GMO mosquitoes cause Zika?

[CentralMass]

8. No, the disease has been around for decades and can be spread by a common mosquito.

I wouldn't consider watching or reading RT news .

[Major Nikon]

9. Just curious, because that's the kind of CT nonsense RT is famous for

The source you used also seems to have a soft spot for the CT gibberish.

But hey, as long as someone is spreading bad shit about GMO, does it really matter that it's bullshit?

[SidDithers]

3. DU rec...nt

Sid

[MineralMan]

7. Perhaps targeting people susceptible of believing weird stuff?

Interesting.

[gratuitous]

12. Terrific

So, wanting my foodstuffs labeled leaves me open to nitwit accusations of being a Russian plant/agent/dupe. Oh well, the FBI under Hoover called me that, too. Nothing new.

[TheBlackAdder]

13. For me, yawn. Fuck Monsanto, ADM, Cargill, DuPont Pioneer and all those other toxic leeches.