BMJ's poor portrayal of issues

doi:10.1136/bmj.b2190

Published 1 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2190
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2190

Letters

Rules of conscience

BMJ’s poor portrayal of issues

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The headline on the cover of the BMJ’s 16 May issue, "Interrogatingdetainees: why psychologists participate and doctors don’t,"is, at best, an example of poor communication. It violates Grice’smaxims of good communication: avoid obscurity of expression,make your contribution one that is true, and be sufficientlyinformative. At worst, it has a feel of tabloid journalism,designed to get readers’ interests at the cost of accuracy.It is incorrect and misleading to state in a British journalthat "psychologists" participate in the interrogation of detainees,when only a comparatively small number of American psychologists—forexample, military psychologists—have been prepared toparticipate in interrogation. Psychologists who are membersof the British Psychological Society adhere to a strict codeof ethics and conduct, which is in line with the guidelinesissued by the United Nations.