Dow Corning
The controversy began in November 1990, when CBS? "Eye to Eye with Connie Chung" charged that Dow Corning (a breast implant manufacturer) were callously marketing a dangerous product. Chung?s broadcast featured emotional testimony from women who blamed their implants for compromising their immune systems and creating a variety of painful and even life-threatening ailments. The ensuing uproar led to high-profile Congressional hearings which created their own storm of controversy. Faced with a full-fledged media feeding frenzy, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler effectively banned silicone implants from the marketplace. Class-action lawsuits were filed against manufacturers, and the Dow Corning Corp. withdrew from the market and was forced into bankruptcy. The settlements paid to plaintiffs ran into billions of dollars, with many claims still outstand
If the Dow Corning breast implant controversy proves anything, it is that the media is in control and not sound sceince. During the second phase of coverage, from 1993 through 1996, the portrayal of Dow Corning improved, and more stories cited scientific evidence that cast doubt on the original claims of harm. Unfortunately, it proved too late to have much effect on public fears. An early burst of coverage on an unfamiliar issue tends to shape public opinion, particularly when coverage of later developments is much lighter. Even if early charges are corrected at a later date, few people are still listening. This is what makes media myths so hard to dislodge from the public consciousness. During the first two years of the controversy, the coverage averaged 18 stories per month at a dozen major news outlets, peaking at 90 stories when the FDA banned implants in April 1992. Thereaft
Some common words found in the essay are:
Dow Corning, Corning Corp, Dow Corning's, Corning Five, David Kessler, dow corning, Emory University, scientific evidence, Connie Chung, corning breast implant, women blamed implants, corning breast, breast implants, breast implant, silicone implants, dow corning breast, public opinion, blamed implants, phase coverage, women blamed,
Approximate Word count = 598
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
