This is researcher Haruko Obokata. Yesterday, she held a press conference, apologizing for the numerous errors in her stem cell study. One Japanese paper seems to have decided to troll the young scientist with giant photos of her face.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, Obokata's research was initially thought to be groundbreaking, but now her publication is under investigation. In the press conference, she apologized, but said it was possible to confirm her research showing how stem cells could be easily reprogrammed.
It was an emotional press conference that was carried live on multiple Japanese television networks.
Today, daily paper Nikkan Sports covered the event, featuring this photo:
[Photo: solo_strosek]
Yikes! That's one giant face photo. Granted, the television networks featured plenty of close-ups of Obokata, but online in Japan, Nikkan Sports is being called out for "overdoing it."
Many Japanese Twitter users seemed somewhat bewildered and bemused by the photo. Others simply asked Nikkan Sports to knock it off, calling the photo "scary." Others said Nikkan was being "spiteful."
"I looked at Nikkan's Okobata article, and it made me hate the media," wrote one Twitter user.
Nikkan Sports is known for pulling stunts like this, so this kind of coverage isn't out of left field. It is, however, up close.
[Photo: kyni815]
[Photo: yayoiorinP]
[Photo: atusi005]
[Photo: thrill_show]
[Photo: taiti0256]
[Photo: Br66zono]
[Photo: tmyg65]
[Photo: takeyan510]
[Photo: tainokome]
[Photo: tokyo26]
ニッカンスポーツ一面の小保方さんの写真が悪意ありすぎだと物議を醸すwww [Naver]
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