Merchants of Doubt

by

Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway

Steven J. Milloy Character Analysis

Steven J. Milloy is a tobacco and fossil fuel lobbyist who has frequently appeared in the media to spread doubt about the dangers of DDT, ozone destruction, secondhand smoke, climate change, and more. He pioneered the popular media strategy of calling research favorable to polluting industries as “sound science” and research hostile to it as “junk science.” He also helped organize the doubt-spreading industry, most notably by setting up a lobbying group called The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition for the Philip Morris tobacco company.
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Steven J. Milloy Character Timeline in Merchants of Doubt

The timeline below shows where the character Steven J. Milloy appears in Merchants of Doubt. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
Media Bias Theme Icon
...George C. Marshall Institute in exchange for press coverage defending secondhand smoke. Through the lobbyist Steven Milloy , Philip Morris founded a group called The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), which... (full context)
Chapter 7
Science, Trust, and Public Policy Theme Icon
Media Bias Theme Icon
Certainty, Doubt, and the Scientific Method Theme Icon
Eventually, the former tobacco lobbyist and “junk science” alarmist Steven Milloy worked with entomologist J. Gordon Edwards to repeat Dixy Lee Ray’s claims—again, without mentioning pesticide... (full context)
Conclusion
Science, Trust, and Public Policy Theme Icon
Capitalism and the Environment Theme Icon
...realized that they could undermine science by channeling millions of dollars to fake experts, like Steve Milloy , and think tanks, like the Heartland Institute and the Ludwig von Mises Institute. All... (full context)