Disclosing conflicts ...

I never really liked the Infinite Mind, in full disclosure. It always seemed to be on NPR when I woke up before the rest of the family and its theme song always gave me the willies. But this story from the New York Times of hidden conflicts and undisclosed loyalties is a cautionary tale worth reading. It also makes one wonder if there are other experts who aren't as trustworthy as their readers and listeners expect.

Here's the host of the show, Dr. Frederick Goodwin, defending his accepting money (more than $1.3 million) from pharmaceutical companies:

He defended the views he expressed in many of his radio programs and said that, because he consulted for so many drugmakers at once, he had no particular bias.

“These companies compete with each other and cancel each other out,” he said.

Ummmm..... You'd hope that someone hosting a show on psychology and the mind would be a teeny bit more analytical about his own motives and biases. But the bottom line is that this: His failure to disclose the payments is an ethical violation that undermines the public's trust in journalism and media.