This is a vital and important factor.

When that SSRN Huawei article was published, it was done so with support from @HJS_Org and a media push involving lots of outlets including @Telegraph and @Forbes (see below)

1/n https://twitter.com/gonglei89/status/1322183616663752704

You can link to those @Telegraph and @Forbes articles in this Twitter thread.

Also remember this #Huawei paper was allegedly first in a series. Never followed up.

This #thread shows my initial incredulity https://threader.app/thread/1147458832051965953

And just to be clear there, there are very serious issues related to 5G, privacy, security and the problems of PRC-based orgs having key roles in infrastructure devt. These are important questions

But fabricating arguments damages serious efforts to accurately assess any threat

Unfortunately, urgency in news cycles often leads news orgs to publish pieces with even a cursory checks.

In many cases the credentials of an author or affiliation can provide a veneer of credibility. But all work should ultimately be assessed on its merit.