If I could have been at this week's conference for one session, it would have been this morning's symposium on AIDS denial and responsible journalism. Hannah has already mentioned it and given her impressions and thoughts. The session itself was moderated by HIV researcher Daniel Kuritzkes and journalist Laurie Garrett, currently a Senior Fellow on Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Talks were also given by HIV researcher John Moore, South Africa-based science journalist Tamar Khan, Toronto Star science reporter Kim Honey, and Nathan Geffen of the Treatment Action Campaign. From Hannah's report, it seems there was quite a bit of audience involvement as well.
The issue of reporters and how they address the "controversy" over HIV is one that has implications for fields far beyond just HIV science. Hannah noted that a debate opened up discussing whether journalists should challenge scientific consensus in general. She notes that Lancet editor Richard Horton:
(Continued at The AIDS conference blog...)
Comments
Don't forget to read Celia Farber's superb expose of the corruption and dangerous mischief of the AIDS dogmatists that appeared in the March 2006 issue of "Harpers."
There were some fine follow-up debates among the letters published in the May 2006 issue of "Harpers" in response to Farber's powerful article.
Ditto with BBC filmmaker Joan Shenton and her equally fine book, "Positively False: Exposing the Myths Around HIV and AIDS" (St. Marrtin's Press, 1998).
It's truly amazing how just a few such books and articles have such an amazingly disproportionate, disconcerting and destabilizing effect on the true believers of the Church of AIDS Dogmatism........... it does gives one grounds to pause all right......
Lordy, Lordy.......
Posted by: Charles | August 15, 2006 1:34 PM
The thread that connects those HIV+s who question whether HIV causes AIDS and those that don't, is that they're both trying to stay alive. If I had not become sick 6-10 years after testing positive and saw the people on HAART who look like concentration camp victims I wouldn't want to take the drugs. Or, if HAART had saved my life I would be a true beiever. What a hateful choice.
Posted by: James | August 17, 2006 3:40 PM