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the Stem Cell Page time and ignorance are the enemies |
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CNN’s Anderson Cooper blows it – big time |
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November 3, 2006
The stem cell issue can be confusing. I’ll certainly grant that to Anderson Cooper and the folks at CNN. There’s so much to know and learn. To the average Joe, even a casual interest in becoming mildly versed requires knowledge of terms like multipotency, pluripotency, totipotency, nuclear transfer and much more. Then Joe has to separate fact from fiction and be able to determine truth from “truthiness” - and from outright lie.
Last night, Anderson Cooper devoted an entire hour to stem cell research. It was spawned from the Michael J. Fox/Rush Limbaugh episode. Fox got plenty of air time and provided answers to political and social questions, along with a poignant look into his world of living with Parkinson’s.
Commercial breaks were framed with on-show comments from senatorial candidates Jim Talent (incumbent, R-MO) and Michael Steele (challenger, R-MD), both opposed to embryonic stem cell research. To a pro-cure advocate like me that was disappointing, but it was fair considering that Fox’s commercials are for candidates running against them (Claire McCaskill in Missouri and Ben Cardin in Maryland).
For medical explanations Cooper turned to Dr. Sonjay Gupta, CNN’s capable medical correspondent, who did a journeyman’s job of providing 3- and 4-sentence answers to technical questions.
Then the unthinkable happened. For a discussion of adult stem cells, Cooper turned to none other than David Prentice of the Family Research Council. (Yes, that David Prentice.) Prentice spoke of the ‘newly discovered pluripotency of adult stem cells.’ He spoke of the ‘25 year history of embryonic stem cell research - both animal and human.’ He explained how only a “few thousand” excess embryos in fertility clinics were ever destroyed and thus were insufficient for the research – but were unnecessary anyway. He stated that the medical research community was about ‘evenly divided’ on whether embryonic stem cell research was necessary at all.
The problem, of course, is that none of that is true.
Adult stem cells are not pluripotent.
The 25 year history of embryonic stem cell research encompasses only animal experimentation. Human embryonic stem cell research spans a mere eight years.
IVF clinics are now incinerating 40,000 leftover embryos annually – not just “a few thousand.”
The vast majority of medical scientists believe that ALL forms of stem cells must be vigorously researched. Indeed, all eighteen department heads of the National Institutes of Health were recently surveyed and all of them - ALL of them - believe that embryonic stem cell research must be pursued.
You can read the transcript of the entire show here: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/02/acd.01.html
Apparently nobody researched Prentice before selecting him. I immediately went to my computer and surfed to CNN.com. I clicked on ‘Anderson Cooper 360’ and then his email comments page. I angrily sent off a note:
I have long admired Anderson Cooper's work - until now. How disappointing that Cooper invited a discredited "scientist" to provide the "alternate" stem cell position. Your own medical correspondent, Dr. Gupta, had it right. (That should have raised a red flag when Prentice spoke to misinform your audience.)
Prentice's claims were debunked in a peer reviewed scientific journal...
Click here to read the article
Click here for the back-up data
You correctly labeled his association with the FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL. Didn't anyone on your staff check them out? That's James Dobson's posse! Prentice is a paid political hack of the religious right extremists.
What's next? Interviews with Mark Foley on the best all-boys summer camps?
CNN blew this one - big time - and did a monumental disservice to 100 million American patients and their families.
Jeff Eisen Editor and Publisher the STEM CELL PAGE http://stemcellpage.com stemcellpage@yahoo.com
I would urge all pro-cure advocates take a moment and send them a note. Just click here to go to their email page or copy and paste this link in your browser…
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?10
Perhaps if enough pro-cure advocates make the point, CNN will return to reliable journalism. If not, they risk slipping into the mold of Fox News.
“Fox” News. How ironic.
- Jeff Eisen
Update: CNN has placed the portion of the show featuring Michael J. Fox on their web site. You can watch it by clicking here.
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