David Price, vice-provost for research at University College London, has hit out at the Daily Mail newspaper about a story that implied that two UCL researchers were invited onto the BBC programme Newsnight to increase diversity among its guests.
“Newsnight’s Guardian-trained editor, Ian Katz, is keen on diversity,” wrote Ephraim Hardcastle in the newspaper on 19 March. “So, two women were invited to comment on the report about (white, male) American scientists who’ve detected the origins of the universe—giggling Sky at Night presenter Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Sri Lanka-born astronomer Hiranya Peiris.”
Peiris is an astronomer at UCL and Aderin-Pocok is an honorary research associate at the university. Price outlines the academic credentials of both and stresses both are well-placed to comment on the finding.
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