Trickster Journalist Explains Why He Duped Media On Chocolate Study

On Thursday we told you about an elaborate hoax carried out by a science journalist who wanted to teach the media a lesson about being more responsible in reporting on nutrition science.

As we reported, John Bohannon conducted a real — but deeply and deliberately flawed — study on how chocolate affects weight loss. He wrote press releases to alert the media, then sat back and watched who bit. Many news organizations around the world took the bait.

On Friday's All Things Considered, Bohannon talks with NPR's Robert Siegel about how and why he carried out this scheme, which he revealed this week in a post on i09.