On November 25, 2019 I asked a question of David Mikkelson – the founder of Snopes (video).

This video (of me asking a question to David Mikkelson) is one minute and 19 seconds long. The transcript of my question can be read below the video. The video was taken by my friend Carissa (she is sitting down next to me at a table – sorry about the bad angle!)  After my question was asked David said he could not hear me so I went up to the front of the room to ask it again and clarify it and get his response. You can see his response on this second video – link here.

---

Transcript of the above video:

Sorry – I am not the most coherent as it was a room full of people and I was a wee bit nervous!

• I am a citizen scientist.
• I have received two awards from the Federal government for my work.
• CBS This Morning covered my work.
• Snopes has written me up on four separate occasions.
• Two articles that Snopes have written have tried to discredit me.
• and two have used me as an expert…”Look, Tamara said this is true – so it is true.”
• So what I want to ask you is ….
• ONE – There doesn’t seem to be a mechanism to address the fact that there’s an article up there that Snopes says some work that is scientifically accurate and true… you are saying it isn’t true and it is true and I’ve addressed it and I can seem to get it taken down and it’s something that harms people because it’s about Lead poisoning, and childhood Lead poisoning and the accessibility of Lead in dishware.  And so – one – why isn’t there a mechanism to address misstatements of fact on Snopes? …
• …AND TWO – what level of responsibility does Snopes have to go back and revisit things where it may have made a mistake?
• …and… your influence is so great… especially in a situation like mine where – wait, am I an expert or not an expert?

Please watch David’s response here at this link (it truly speaks for itself.)

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama