How to Report When the Science Is Sketchy. (It Often Is.) - The New York Times

"It was such an idealistic notion — information should be free. No one should have to pay to read an article in a scientific journal. But I should have expected that the law of unintended consequences would kick in. In 2015, many reporters circulated a study purporting that chocolate aids in weight loss, published in an open-access journal. It was a complete hoax; even the authors’ names and affiliations were phony. But it was easily accepted by journals that pretty much accept anything."