Swati Bharadwaj

Swati Bharadwaj has been working as an investigative journalist for Times of India since 2019. She covers topics related to healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Her reporting has exposed several instances of corruption in the Indian pharma industry.

Biography:  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Swati-Bharadwaj-7881.cms

76%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

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 existing BCG vaccine is an attenuated variant of the bovine TB pathogen and has limited effect on pulmonary tuberculosis responsible for disease transmission.

Conflicts of Interest

70%

Examples:

  • The author claims that MTBVAC is a more effective vaccine than BCG but this statement is not supported by any scientific evidence presented in the article.
  • The author claims that MTBVAC is currently the only TB vaccine undergoing clinical trials based on a genetically modified form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis but this statement is also incorrect as per WHO.

Contradictions

85%

Examples:

  • ,
  • A vaccine that is at least 50% effective could prevent up to 76 million cases and $41 billion in TB-related catastrophic household costs over 25 years.
  • TB exists in both a latent and active form; the lifetime risk of developing active TB from latency is approximately 5-10% for those infected with the bacteria.

Deceptions

70%

Examples:

  • The author claims that existing BCG vaccine has limited effect on pulmonary tuberculosis responsible for disease transmission which is incorrect according to WHO.
  • The author states that MTBVAC is a more effective vaccine than BCG but this statement is not supported by any scientific evidence presented in the article.

Recent Articles

New TB Vaccine Trial Brings Hope to End the Pandemic in South Africa and Beyond

New TB Vaccine Trial Brings Hope to End the Pandemic in South Africa and Beyond

Broke On: Tuesday, 19 March 2024 The Gates MRI has initiated a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the M72/AS01E vaccine candidate in protecting adolescents and adults from pulmonary tuberculosis. If successful, it could be the first new TB vaccine in over a century. The trial is significant as it brings hope for ending TB through prevention and early diagnosis.