They Say / I Blog

Athletes speaking up: Joe Vardon on “sticking to sports”

Major sports figures such as NBA star LeBron James and Major League pitcher Trevor Bauer have recently spoken publicly about their respective political stances. That’s not a new phenomenon, but it has become prominent in the news lately, accompanied by debate on the appropriateness of such public expressions. NBA reporter for Cleveland.com joins the debate in this February 2017 post.

Read it here: Vardon, "Why LeBron James, Trevor Bauer shouldn’t ‘stick to sports’ in Trump era: Commentary”

Just say “salt”: Marion Renault on public perceptions of food science

Many of us sing the same lament: the ingredients listed on many of our food products include long unpronounceable words with mysterious purposes. What is that stuff?! Do we really need it? In this February 2017 Columbus Dispatch article, science and environmental reporter Marion Renault asserts that public mistrust of food science is actually harmful to us all, and she reports on some measures that scientists are taking to help improve communication with the public.

Read it here: Renault, “Are your food facts really food myths?”

Ugly talk: Meredith Simons on sexist comments in the news

It’s a time-honored strategy, and unfortunately, it works very well. Newsworthy women, from Hillary Clinton to Lady Gaga to Kellyanne Conway and beyond, are often publicly skewered not for their statements and ideas, but for their clothes, their hairstyles, and their bodies. Writer and law student Meredith Simons explores the harmful effects of such public discourse in this January 2017 Washington Post article.

Read it here: Simons, “Don’t like what a woman is saying? Call her ugly”