RE: S-35 Spill at UCSD

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 16:08 13.07.2000 -0500, you wrote:


>Franz,
>
>While I don't know how the news services are in Austria, I am familiar with
>them here.  The average news article is written on about a sixth grade level
>(for a 12 year old) or less.  And, I am willing to guess that 95% of the
>reading population in the US, including the writer of the news article,
>would not know what a "rem" or "millirem" is (they do know it is related to
>radiation and therefore is bad) much less a "Becquerel" or a "curie".  And
>you want to further confuse them by adding prefixes like "femto"?
>
>Remember, over here it's not data that sells news papers.  Sensationalism
>sells news papers.
>
>And by the way, the spell checker on my brand new Microsoft Outlook 2000
>didn't recognized "rem", "millirem", "becquerel", or "femto" either.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>David Hyder
>Health Physicist
>(509) 373-9652
>David_S_Hyder@rl.gov
>Hanford's Facility Evaluation Board
>

Hi David,

I never knew before that the US shares so much in common with Austria....

Unfortunately you are right with your remarks. I had obviously the wrong
idea that a press release should provide not only information for the
public, but should also provide data and information enabling scientists to
draw their conclusions. But you are right (again) - this is hardly the case.  

I cannot give a recipe, how to fight back on such news, but it seems more
and more often, that in any case the contribution of health physicists and
radiation protection specialists are not welcomed.

With my very best wishes,

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at


Office:
Ministerialrat Dr. Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management
Radiation Protection Department (BMLFUW I/8 U)
Radetzkystr. 2
A-1031 Vienna
AUSTRIA

phone: -43-1-71172-4458
fax: -43-1-7122331

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