Jon Entine

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Jon Entine
Entine photo.jpg
Entine in 2008
Born (1952-04-30) April 30, 1952 (age 71)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s) Science journalist, consultant

Jon Entine (born April 30, 1952) is an American science journalist. After working as a network news writer and producer for NBC News and ABC News, Entine moved into print journalism. Entine has written seven books and is a contributing columnist to newspapers and magazines. He is the founder and executive director of the science advocacy group the Genetic Literacy Project, and a former visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. [1] He is also the founder of the consulting company ESG Mediametrics. [2] [3]

Contents

Background

Entine was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania into an Ashkenazi Jewish family from eastern Europe [4] and was raised in Reform Judaism. [5] He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1974 [6] with a B.A. in philosophy.[ citation needed ]

Television

In high school, Entine worked as a weekend copyboy for the CBS owned-and-operated TV station then known as WCAU. In 1975, Entine was hired to write for the ABC News program AM America , which was renamed Good Morning America the following year. Entine worked for ABC News as a writer, assignment desk editor, and producer in New York City and Chicago from 1975 to 1983 for programs including the ABC Evening News , 20/20 and Nightline . He took a leave of absence from ABC News in 1981–1982 to study at the University of Michigan under a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship in journalism.[ citation needed ]

Entine joined NBC News in New York in 1984 as a special segment producer for NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, where he worked until 1990. In 1989, Entine and Brokaw collaborated to write and produce Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction, which was named Best International Sports Film of 1989. [7] From 1989 to 1990, Entine served as executive in charge of documentaries at NBC News. He rejoined ABC News in 1991 as an investigative producer for Primetime . In 1993 Entine produced a story with reporter Sam Donaldson on eye surgery clinics that led to a lawsuit against ABC News, Entine, and Donaldson. [8] [9] The suit was dismissed by a federal appeals court, which concluded: "The only scheme here was a scheme to expose publicly any bad practices that the investigative team discovered, which is nothing fraudulent." [10] In 1994, Entine produced a prime time special on the Miss America Pageant, "Miss America: Beyond the Crown" for NBC Entertainment.[ citation needed ]

Body Shop controversy

In September 1994, Entine wrote an investigative article titled "Shattered Image: Is The Body Shop Too Good to Be True?" The article caused an international controversy and led to articles in The New York Times [ citation needed ] and a report on ABC World News Tonight .[ citation needed ] The Body Shop, the British-based international cosmetics company, which until that point had been considered a model "socially responsible" company, tried to block the story from being published. [11] Following the controversy, The Body Shop's stock suffered a temporary 50% drop in market value.[ citation needed ] The case has become the subject of business and management ethics studies. [12] [13]

Genetic Literacy Project

Entine is the executive director of the Genetic Literacy Project (GLP), an organization he founded. [14] [15] The GLP is a non-profit organization that promotes public awareness and discussion of genetics, biotechnology, evolution and science literacy. [15] [16] [17] [18] The site presents articles on topics related to food and agricultural genetics, as well as human genetics. [19] It also aggregates articles from various published sources. GLP has posted articles taking positions against labeling GMO foods. [20] [21] In a Financial Times article, the Genetic Literacy Project site was described as a provider of information on genomics that is not readily accessible to the general public. [22]

Accusations of being a Monsanto front group

US Right to Know, an advocacy group funded in large part by the Organic Consumers Association, [23] [24] raised concerns after the GLP ran a series of articles in 2014 supportive of crop biotechnology after the scientists had been encouraged to do so by American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto. [25] The GLP said the authors were not paid for their articles. Entine remarked that he had total control of the editing process and that there was nothing to disclose. [25]

In 2020 and 2021 the GLP received US$741,183 and US$494,075 in donations, respectively. [26]

Books

Entine has written three books on genetics and two on chemicals. Let Them Eat Precaution: How Politics is Undermining the Genetic Revolution examines the controversy over genetic modification in agriculture.[ citation needed ]

Entine's first book, Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We're Afraid to Talk About It was inspired by the documentary on black athletes written with Brokaw in 1989. [27] It received reviews ranging from mostly positive to highly negative in The New York Times. [27] [28] [29] Physical anthropologist Jonathan Marks characterized the book as "make-believe genetics applied to naively conceptualized groups of people." [29]

In 2007, Entine published Abraham's Children: Race, Identity and the DNA of the Chosen People which examined the shared ancestry of Jews, Christians and Muslims, and addressed the question "Who is a Jew?" as seen through the prism of DNA. In a review of this book, geneticist Harry Ostrer wrote that Entine's "understanding of the genetics is limited and uncritical, but his broad, well-documented sweep of Jewish history will inform even the most knowledgeable of readers." [30]

Organizational affiliations

He was previously senior research fellow at the Center for Health & Risk Communication at George Mason University where he began in 2011 [31] and at GMU's STATS (Statistical Assessment Service). [32]

Entine joined the conservative American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research as an adjunct scholar in 2002 and was subsequently a visiting scholar.[ citation needed ] His research focuses on science and society and corporate sustainability. AEI Press has published three books written and edited by Entine: Crop Chemophobia: Will Precaution Kill the Green Revolution?, which analyzes the impact of chemicals in agriculture; Pension Fund Politics: The Dangers of Socially Responsible Investing, which focuses on the growing influence of social investing in pension funds; and Let Them Eat Precaution: How Politics Is Undermining the Genetic Revolution in Agriculture, which examined the debate over genetic modification (GMOs), food, and farming.

As of 2016, Entine was a senior fellow at the Institute Food and Agricultural Literacy at University of California Davis. [1]

In 2012 when asked about affiliations between the agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto and his consulting company ESG Mediametrics, Entine said, "Nine years ago, I did a $2000 research project for v-Fluence, a social media company formed by former Monsanto executives. That's the entirety of my Monsanto relationship." [3]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified maize</span> Genetically modified crop

Genetically modified maize (corn) is a genetically modified crop. Specific maize strains have been genetically engineered to express agriculturally-desirable traits, including resistance to pests and to herbicides. Maize strains with both traits are now in use in multiple countries. GM maize has also caused controversy with respect to possible health effects, impact on other insects and impact on other plants via gene flow. One strain, called Starlink, was approved only for animal feed in the US but was found in food, leading to a series of recalls starting in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic engineering</span> Manipulation of an organisms genome

Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. New DNA is obtained by either isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using recombinant DNA methods or by artificially synthesising the DNA. A construct is usually created and used to insert this DNA into the host organism. The first recombinant DNA molecule was made by Paul Berg in 1972 by combining DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with the lambda virus. As well as inserting genes, the process can be used to remove, or "knock out", genes. The new DNA can be inserted randomly, or targeted to a specific part of the genome.

The Monsanto Company was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in the 1970s. Later, the company became a major producer of genetically engineered crops. In 2018, the company ranked 199th on the Fortune 500 of the largest United States corporations by revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified food</span> Foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA

Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically engineered foods, or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using various methods of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques allow for the introduction of new traits as well as greater control over traits when compared to previous methods, such as selective breeding and mutation breeding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified crops</span> Plants used in agriculture

Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments, or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation.

Since the advent of genetic engineering in the 1970s, concerns have been raised about the dangers of the technology. Laws, regulations, and treaties were created in the years following to contain genetically modified organisms and prevent their escape. Nevertheless, there are several examples of failure to keep GM crops separate from conventional ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified food controversies</span> Controversies over GMO food

Genetically modified food controversies are disputes over the use of foods and other goods derived from genetically modified crops instead of conventional crops, and other uses of genetic engineering in food production. The disputes involve consumers, farmers, biotechnology companies, governmental regulators, non-governmental organizations, and scientists. The key areas of controversy related to genetically modified food are whether such food should be labeled, the role of government regulators, the objectivity of scientific research and publication, the effect of genetically modified crops on health and the environment, the effect on pesticide resistance, the impact of such crops for farmers, and the role of the crops in feeding the world population. In addition, products derived from GMO organisms play a role in the production of ethanol fuels and pharmaceuticals.

Chemophobia is an aversion to or prejudice against chemicals or chemistry. The phenomenon has been ascribed both to a reasonable concern over the potential adverse effects of synthetic chemicals, and to an irrational fear of these substances because of misconceptions about their potential for harm, particularly the possibility of certain exposures to some synthetic chemicals elevating an individual's risk of cancer. Consumer products with labels such as "natural" and "chemical-free" appeal to chemophobic sentiments by offering consumers what appears to be a safer alternative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant genetics</span> Study of genes and heredity in plants

Plant genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity specifically in plants. It is generally considered a field of biology and botany, but intersects frequently with many other life sciences and is strongly linked with the study of information systems. Plant genetics is similar in many ways to animal genetics but differs in a few key areas.

Genetically modified wheat is wheat that has been genetically engineered by the direct manipulation of its genome using biotechnology. As of 2020, no GM wheat is grown commercially, although many field tests have been conducted, with one wheat variety, Bioceres HB4 Wheat, obtaining regulatory approval from the Argentinean government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified soybean</span> Soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques

A genetically modified soybean is a soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques. In 1996, the first genetically modified soybean was introduced to the U.S. by Monsanto. In 2014, 90.7 million hectares of GM soybeans were planted worldwide, this is almost 82% of the total soybeans cultivation area.

Genetically modified canola is a genetically modified crop. The first strain, Roundup Ready canola, was developed by Monsanto for tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the commonly used herbicide Roundup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March Against Monsanto</span> International protest movement

The March Against Monsanto was an international grassroots movement and protest against Monsanto, a producer of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide. The movement was founded by Tami Canal in response to the failure of California Proposition 37, a ballot initiative which would have required labeling food products made from GMOs. Advocates support mandatory labeling laws for food made from GMOs.

GMO Answers is a front group launched by the agricultural biotechnology industry in July 2013 to participate in public debate around genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in crops in the U.S. food supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified potato</span> Potato that has had its genes modified using genetic engineering

A genetically modified potato is a potato that has had its genes modified, using genetic engineering. Goals of modification include introducing pest resistance, tweaking the amounts of certain chemicals produced by the plant, and to prevent browning or bruising of the tubers. Varieties modified to produce large amounts of starches may be approved for industrial use only, not for food.

<i>GMO OMG</i> 2013 American film

GMO OMG is a 2013 American pseudoscientific documentary film which takes a negative view towards the use of genetically modified organisms used in the production of food, in the United States. The film focuses on Monsanto, a multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, and their role in the food industry alongside the effects of GMOs and how they are generated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Folta</span>

Kevin M. Folta is a professor of the horticultural sciences department at the University of Florida. From 2007 to 2010 he helped lead the project to sequence the strawberry genome, and continues to research photomorphogenesis in plants and compounds responsible for flavor in strawberries. Folta has been active as a science communicator since 2002, especially relating to biotechnology. He has faced controversy over what his critics say are his industry connections. In 2017 he was elected as a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GMO conspiracy theories</span> Conspiracy theories related to GMOs

GMO conspiracy theories are conspiracy theories related to the production and sale of genetically modified crops and genetically modified food. These conspiracy theories include claims that agribusinesses, especially Monsanto, have suppressed data showing that GMOs cause harm, deliberately cause food shortages to promote the use of GM food, or have co-opted government agencies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration or scientific societies such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Van Eenennaam</span> American biologist

Alison L. Van Eenennaam is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis and runs the Animal Genomics and Biotechnology Laboratory. She has served on national committees such as the USDA National Advisory Committee on Biotechnology in the 21st Century (AC21) and was awarded the 2014 Borlaug CAST Communication Award. Van Eenennaam writes the Biobeef Blog.

<i>Let Them Eat Precaution</i> 2005 book by Jon Entine

Let Them Eat Precaution: How Politics is Undermining the Genetic Revolution in Agriculture is a 2005 book edited by American author and journalist Jon Entine, about how politics is affecting the use of genetically modified food. The 10 contributing authors from the United States and the United Kingdom discuss the benefits of agricultural biotechnology, offer an international perspective on opposition it faces, and suggest potential solutions.

References

  1. 1 2 "Gary Ruskin and Jon Entine Tangle over the GMO Corporate Connection". Corporate Crime Reporter. 29 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Jon Entine". ESG Mediametrics. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Philpott, Tom (February 24, 2012). "The Making of an Agribusiness Apologist". Mother Jones .
  4. ↑ Entine, Jon (March–April 2008). "Is DNA Abolishing Differences or Embracing Them?". Ancestry Magazine. pp. 42, 44.
  5. ↑ Entine, Jon (2007). "Chapter 1: The Dead Sea Scrolls of DNA". Abraham's Children: Race, Identity, and the DNA of the Chosen People. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN   9780446408394.
  6. ↑ Finkelstein, James (December 1974). "Class Notes: 74". Trinity Reporter. Hartford, CT. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  7. ↑ Brand NFL: Making and Selling America's Favorite Sport, by Michael Oriard, Univ of North Carolina Press, 2007, pg. 224.
  8. ↑ Russomanno, Joseph (2002). "J.H. Desnick, M.D. Eye Services, Ltd., et al. vs American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., Jon Entine, and Sam Donaldson". Speaking our minds: Conversations with the people behind landmark First Amendment cases. Psychology Press. pp. 134–69. ISBN   9780805837674.
  9. ↑ "Libel suit against ABC's 'PrimeTime Live' dismissed". The News Media & The Law. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Winter 2001. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  10. ↑ Posner, Richard (10 January 1995). "Desnick v. American Broadcasting Corporation". FindLaw.com. No. 94-2399. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Dixon, Cyril (August 28, 1994). "Besieged Body Shop comes out fighting" . The Independent . London. Archived from the original on 2022-06-14. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  12. ↑ Carroll, Archie B.; Buchholtz, Ann K. (1 January 2014). Business and Society: Ethics, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Management. Cengage Learning. pp. 583–587. ISBN   9781285734293 . Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "The Body Shop(A): Anita Roddick's Green Brand?". IBS Case Development Centre. ENT0019C. 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  14. ↑ Sentenac, Hannah (2014-03-11). "GMO salmon may soon hit food stores, but will anyone buy it?". Fox News. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  15. 1 2 "Mission, Financial Transparency, Governorship". genetic literacy project. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  16. ↑ Richardson, Hillary. "LibGuides: Public Health Research Guide: Genetics and Health". libguides.muw.edu. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  17. ↑ "Five myths about gene editing". Washington Post. August 25, 2017.
  18. ↑ Anthes, Emily (9 March 2013). "Don't Be Afraid of Genetic Modification". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  19. ↑ "GMO FAQS". Genetic Literacy Project. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  20. ↑ Revkin, Andrew (November 2013). "A Risk Communicator Says Industry Should Embrace Labeling of Genetically Modified Food". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-02-26. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  21. ↑ Van Hoewyk, Doug (October 23, 2015). "If GMOs are safe, why aren't they labeled? Straight answer to a valid question". Genetic Literacy Project. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  22. ↑ "The secret genomic revolution". Financial Times. March 27, 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  23. ↑ "Standing up for science". Nature Biotechnology. 33 (10): 1009. October 2015. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3384 . ISSN   1546-1696. PMID   26448065.
  24. ↑ Lipton, Eric (2015-09-05). "Food Industry Enlisted Academics in G.M.O. Lobbying War, Emails Show". New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  25. 1 2 Kaskey, Jack (2 October 2015). "How Monsanto mobilized academics to pen articles supporting GMOs". Chicago Tribune.
    The [Genetic Literacy Project] said that such a disclosure isn't necessary because [Monsanto] didn't pay the authors and wasn't involved in writing or editing the articles.
    I got independent articles written by independent professors," Entine said [. . .]. "I ended up working with the professors to edit their pieces and I had total control over the final product. There is nothing to disclose.
  26. ↑ Genetic Literacy Project (2021). "Genetic Literacy Project - Annual Report 2021" . Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  27. 1 2 Nobody Does It Better: A journalist looks at the sensitive issue of how black athletes came to rule American sports, by Jim Holt, New York Times, April 16, 2000.
  28. ↑ Bernstein, Richard (January 14, 2000). "Books of the Times: The race to the swift. Or is it the swift to the race?". The New York Times . Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  29. 1 2 Marks, Jonathan (8 April 2000). "A feckless quest for a basketball gene". The New York Times.
  30. ↑ Ostrer, Harry (February 2008). "A genetic view of Jewish history". Nature Genetics. 40 (127): 127. doi: 10.1038/ng0208-127 . S2CID   28651435.
  31. ↑ "Founding CHRC Faculty Scholars". [The Center for Health and Risk Communication. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  32. ↑ "STATS - Staff". George Mason University. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
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