While I am very interested in science and its popularization, I didn't enjoy this book. It was messy and written with some kind of agenda, with a personal grudge underlining the whole story.

Thanks to the publisher, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

From beyond the hype, straight into fiction? Fox is honest with us from the start: this was not meant to be an "objective" account. I just wasn't expecting how painfully not. Fox doesn't hold back, and it's to her discredit. From characterizing sceptics as politicizers and spreaders of misinformation, to (with oblivious contradiction) calling patients "communists," to the "communication geniuses" being the ones who support her organization ... all of this shouted to me: there's a reason "non-experts" like Fox should keep out of professional spheres of influence. What a cringe fest. At the same time, I agree that experts may need coaching, that the public deserves to know the full, complicated picture and be trusted to grapple with the nuances, the peril of preprints, and many other things. Not everything. Apparently a motto of this organization is: "the media will do science better when scientists do the media better." How about journalists doing scientists better? Isn't that their job, where the onus lies? I did appreciate that Fox admitted to her own mistakes at points. Unfortunately, none of this was enough to redeem it for me. Topping it off, Fox veers here and there, plot-wise and topically, with nary an engaging narrative to be found.

The irony of how poorly reviewed this work is isn't lost on me. Perhaps a book is a different beast ... perhaps others in Fox's organization are doing better ... perhaps this is a low point. But in any case it should be a wake-up call.

This was not as easy a read as I thought it was going to be The author goes into a lot of different information both scientific and then political and I was looking for something that really just debunks all of the hype behind climate control. Here the author goes into covid and other things and though useful really you can take a study from the U.S. and from the U.k. and come up with different readings and then word the report the way you want it to appear. Will be a good book for others.

Fiona fox had a great idea decided to go after it and now she has created an international press corps for scientist. She essentially teaches scientist how to speak the language of the public she had a noble idea and a good idea tends to spread and hers did. Although it’s not in America I can only hope one day it will be. From GMO‘s to the recent scientific debate Covid she was on the front lines and her weapon of choice is truth and honesty something I respect so much. We all know the news is supposed to be honest and upfront but we also know that it isn’t anyone familiar with science research and articles really written by scientists isn’t based on scare tactics propaganda or their favorite political opinion, but based on fact in Miss Fox wanted that to be the standard quo when discussing science subjects in the news and in the newspapers and she is fabulously made that into a reality. I really enjoyed this book the beginning is more about her starting her company and it is just as interesting as the wars that are waged within the rest of the book. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it even if you’re not into science this is way more than that and so so good it really touches on and teaches the reader something everyone should know already not everything you read is the truth. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Fox plays a vital role within contemporary society, yet most people have never heard her name. While the book doesn't focus on her, instead emphasising her work, it begins with an exploration of how she found herself at the forefront of the Science Media Centre, which sets the insightful and honest tone for the book. She explores her highs and lows in the same tone, showing the unavoidable nature of each but highlighting the necessity of the SMC.

I didn't finish this book; frankly, I didn't come to the end of chapter one... The introduction is leading towards-I don't know, and I'm questioning if the author does. I skipped the introduction after half of it, thinking, "Get to the point", hoping that the author would write about interesting things in those media scandals.
In chapter one, the author tells us with whom she wrote emails, had talks with about whatever, and I keept thinking, "Get to the point"...
Sorry, not my kind of book.

An interesting look into the life of a job that I hadn't really considered. Covering lots of different scandals involving science, I found it fascinating how much of a part politics had to play in the science community,

DNF
I gave up when I got to about 50% of the book.
First of all, it´s biased.
Secondly, the author is full of anger and it seems as if this book is a personal vendetta against almost everyone.
It´s a pity, really, because the tile is catchy and very promising.

I was expecting a book that would be a bit more accessible for non-STEM readers. This book covers some of the major scandals relating to the fields of health and science and the challenges of effective communication with the public. As someone that does not have a background in science but has an interest in it, I found this book difficult to get interested. I also found the writing to be very average, not particularly interesting or easy to follow if you don't have a baseline knowledge of what is being talked about.

“The media will do science better when the scientist do media better”.

Book Information

Beyond the Hype: The Inside Story of Science's Biggest Media Controversies is written by Fiona Fox. Its paperback edition is due to be published on February 16th and is 288 pages. Fiona Fox is the founding director of the Science Media Centre, a UK independent press office for science established in 2002. She has a degree in journalism and many years of experience working in media relations for high-profile national organizations.

Summary

Beyond the Hype is a behind-the-scenes exploration of some of the most contentious stories in science from the early 2000s through the Covid19 pandemic in 2020. Topics include animal research, genetically modified foods, hybrid embryos, vaccines, chronic fatigue syndrome, and global warming as well as the stories of several prominent scientist “scandals”. She is clear that the book is “not intended to be an objective record of science in the media during the 21st century” but rather her “recollections of events as they happened over a period of twenty years.” The book highlights the important role that scientists and media need to play together to ensure broad public understanding of critical issues.

My Thoughts

This is a harder book for me to review.

At a top-level…everyone should read it. We have so much misinformation (hype) swirling around us and it is very informative to hear what is going on in the background (at least in the UK) to best inform the public on scientific matters. No one was better positioned than Fox over the past 20 years to make sense of so many stories. It is also surprising. I had no idea that researchers working on topics like chronic fatigue syndrome were getting death threats because some people didn’t think they were researching the right things. I appreciated that she wrote in a very informal style vs more technical as many writing on science topics often do (which, by the way, is kinda what she is all about). It's fascinating to hear all the drama and consternation that is constantly going on at all levels to ensure both scientists and the media do their parts toward accurate information being reported and we all likely owe Ms. Fox a big thank you for her efforts.

Things I didn’t like quite as much. I found each chapter to be about a third longer than I was prepared for. I kept thinking that we had exhausted a topic but there was always more. I also found it odd in a book about accurately reporting science research and news that there would be a disclaimer of sorts at the beginning saying that the book is a collection of recollections and may not be an accurate recounting of events. The book is very UK-centric. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and it will be a big plus for folks in the UK that have familiarity with the dozens and dozens of people she references and discusses in the book. Make no mistake, the topics are absolutely 100% transferable no matter where you live but it’s harder to immerse yourself if you don’t know any of the players or situations.

Recommendation

If you are a media junkie, a science junkie, and live in the UK—you will love it. Otherwise, you should still read it for the insights delivered about the information that we consume each and every day and base our major life decisions around.

Rating

3 Bright Celestial Bodies (Stars)

Beyond the Hype is the story of one woman's lifelong attempt to bridge the gap between serious scientists and the often craven press. Ms. Fox does not hold the reporters and editors who cover politics daily. But she did find that she could help scholarly researchers explain their scientific results to the science and technology reporters in the UK. This book is almost an autobiography of Ms. Fox's life battling with newspapers that often only wanted clickbait and government officials who wished to avoid at all costs real transparency.