Mark Johnson,

Washington, D.C. National reporter covering science. Education: University of Toronto BA English Literature As a 2016-2017 O'Brien Fellow at Marquette University, he reported on infectious diseases in Kenya, Uganda and Brazil. He covered small-town government and corruption at The Providence Journal-Bulletin from 1994 to 2000, serving for two years as the newspaper's Massachusetts Bureau Manager. Before coming to Providence, he worked at The Rockford Register Star, The Haverhill (Mass.) Gazette and the weekly Provincetown (Mass.) Advocate. A University of Toronto graduate, his first novel, Though The Earth Gives Way, was published in January 2022.

Biography: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/mark-johnson/

73%

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

85%

Examples:

The use of quotation marks around 'the sky's the limit here' suggests that the author is mocking or dismissing the study.
>> This is a clear example of bias in the article. The author assumes that there must be more to the story without providing any evidence or citing any sources.

Conflicts of Interest

50%

Examples:

The lack of disclosure or transparency about any possible conflicts of interest undermines the credibility and reliability of the article.
>> This is a potential conflict of interest in the article. The author works as a national reporter covering science for The Washington Post, which may influence his reporting on scientific studies and issues.

Contradictions

85%

Examples:

This contradicts the fact that one-tenth of lupus patients are men, which implies that there is significant variation and uncertainty in the prevalence of autoimmune diseases among different genders.
>> This is a major contradiction in the article. The author claims that women account for about 80 percent of autoimmune disease patients but fails to provide any evidence to support this claim.

Deceptions

80%

Examples:

The use of rhetorical questions and ellipses creates a sense of mystery or intrigue, but does not provide any meaningful information or insight.
>> This is an example of deception in the article. The author uses vague and misleading language to imply that there must be more to explain why women have more autoimmune diseases than men.