With all due respect to everyone, I understand that the firing of Dr.
Lundberg is an emotional and unfortunate issue, but I see it as outside the
purview of this list. There are entirely too many messages on this topic
arriving in my inbox for my liking.
My two cents? I don't think JAMA firing Lundberg is censorship of any sort.
If Time magazine doesn't want to publish centerfold spreads ala Playboy,
then it management has the right to determine its own editorial policy.
This would include firing an editor who it felt was 'pushing the limits' a
bit. Censorship is GOVERNMENT telling private citizens or commercial
publishers what they can and cannot say, write, publish, or sell. When JAMA
decides to shape its content by firing an editor who wants to go in a
fundamentally different direction than management intends for it to go, then
JAMA is fully within its bounds to find an editor who shares their private
editorial vision for their publication. Arguably, any government effort to
PREVENT them from doing that IS censorship.
Charles C. Engel, Jr., MD, MPH email: [log in to unmask]
Lieutenant Colonel, Medical Corps, US Army tel: 202 782 8064
Chief, Gulf War Health Center fax: 202 782 3539
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/departments/gulfwar/
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry tel: 301 295 2470
Uniformed Services University fax: 301 319 6965
http://www.usuhs.mil/psy/
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