Date: 5/9/2009 4:23 PM
LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maria Shriver said her role in a major HBO documentary series on Alzheimer’s stems from the professional and the intensely personal.
“I approached this project as a child of Alzheimer’s,” she said, a reference to her father, Sargent Shriver, who was diagnosed in 2003 with the fearsome disease that causes deepening, irreversible dementia.
Her work on the four-part “The Alzheimer’s Project” also reflects her vantage point as a journalist and a citizen who wants others to get involved in overcoming Alzheimer’s, she said.
“It’s going to take all of us as a nation to get involved in finding a cure for this,” said Shriver, a series executive producer and host of one of the programs.
There’s reason for hope, according to the documentary. In fact, “The Alzheimer’s Project” was a result of the progress being made toward treating and possibly preventing the brain disorder, said series producer John Hoffman.
After HBO’s similarly ambitious project “Addiction,” produced in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health, the cable channel wanted to continue its relationship with the agency, Hoffman said.
The search for the next topic focused on “where science has advanced and the public is unaware of these gains in knowledge,” said Hoffman.
Alzheimer’s fit that profile, he said. The disease also is among the most-feared in the nation, affecting at least 5 million Americans and expected to hit millions more as the population ages, Hoffman said.
But scientists are beginning to crack the disease’s code, according to the HBO project, which carefully — and without hype — documents advances against the disease.
The series, beginning Sunday and airing over three nights, also focuses on the emotional toll Alzheimer’s takes on its sufferers and those close to them.
It open with “The Memory Loss Tapes,” an intimate look at seven people living with Alzheimer’s. The two-part “Momentum in Science,” airing Monday and Tuesday, explores research advances with the scientists and physicians leading the way.
Also airing Monday is “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” with Shriver, which gives voice to the children and grandchildren of Alzheimer’s patients. Tuesday’s “Caregivers” details the hard work and rewards of those in the disease’s inner circle.
Besides being featured on all HBO channels and HBO On Demand, the series will stream free on hbo.com. There’s also a companion book, “The Alzheimer’s Project: Momentum in Science,” and a Web site.
Executive producer Sheila Nevins recognizes that some viewers might be more interested in the science while others are drawn to the personal accounts.
“We don’t want people to see one part and think that’s the whole story. Every part in contingent on the other,” Nevins said. “The hope is that each show answers questions and raises others answered in the multiple programs.”
Shriver, formerly with NBC News, a member of the Kennedy political dynasty and wife of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the call to action must include but go beyond government support for Alzheimer’s research and caregivers.
“It’s up to our generation to help find a cure,” Shriver said. “A cure is not just going to happen unless we stand up and say, ‘There are millions and millions of use, and we’re dying in a different way alongside the person who has Alzheimer’s.’”
___
On the Net:
http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
Attorney Gordon Johnson
Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447 :: Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
http://subtlebraininjury.com :: http://brainanatomyguide.com :: http://car-accident-rain.com :: http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com :: http://vestibulardisorder.com :: http://youtube.com/profile?user=braininjuryattorney
Loss of the News – The Fabric of Our Democracy in Peril
The below story from the Associated Press is nearly as disturbing as the news from Pakistan and the debacle that Baxter’s move to globalization of Heparin manufacture has been. Before I went to law school, I went to Journalism school, journalism school in Chicago, at Northwestern University. I aspired to be a newspaper reporter, worked more hours than I studied on the college newspaper, and likely would never have gone to law school had 1975 been nearly as bad of a year for newspapers as this one.
Yet where for me, the lost opportunity to work for a daily newspaper may have worked out well, for our democracy, the loss of daily newspapers could be catastrophic. It is the newspaper reporters who cover the bulk of the news, who support the AP, who do the bulk of the investigative reporting that keeps our government, our politicians, our corporations accountable to the American people. TV news gives us the superficial look at the headlines, but it is the daily newspaper we get the real news. As a trial lawyer, I see myself as the advocate of the people. Our strongest ally in such fight are newspaper reporters. Certainly the Tribune’s coverage of the Heparin catastrophe has shown that to be true.
The internet has changed how we get information and its biggest casualty may be the daily newspaper. Blogging gives me a chance to speak my voice, but blogging can never replace the role the newspaper plays. This is true because of the content, the training but above all, the credibility of something being published in a newspaper like the Chicago Tribune. There is no doubt that the pure “editorial” independence of the news may be shifted somewhat by the evolution of internet information sources, but we will never be able to trust bloggers, like we have come to believe that we can trust a reporter. That applies to my blogs, as well. I am no longer a professional writer and God knows, I no longer have the benefit of a demanding editor.
The Tribune is in bankruptcy, its economic survival in peril. I pray that its reputation does not precede its demise.
Attorney Gordon Johnson
http://subtlebraininjury.com
http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com
http://thelegaltimes.net
http://vestibulardisorder.com
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g@gordonjohnson.com
800-992-9447
©Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr. 2008
Date: 4/30/2009 9:09 PM
BC-US–Tribune-Reader Survey,1st Ld-Writethru/704
HERBERT G. McCANN
Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Reporters at the Chicago Tribune say they believe the marketing department in recent weeks solicited subscribers’ opinions on stories before they were published, a practice they said raises ethical questions, as well as legal and competitive issues.
An e-mail signed by 55 reporters and editors, sent Wednesday to Editor Gerould Kern and Managing Editor Jane Hirt and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, questions why the newspaper was conducting the surveys and what stories were used. They also wanted to know which readers were surveyed and whether any story had been altered as a result of reader comment.
“It is a fundamental principle of journalism that we do not give people outside the newspaper the option of deciding whether or not we should publish a story, whether they be advertisers, politicians or just regular readers,” the e-mail read. “Focus grouping as done in the past is one thing. But this appears to break the bond between reporters and editors in a fundamental way.”
Readers were shown synopses or “dopings” of several unpublished stories, including some the staff is currently working on, according to the e-mail.
The reporters and editors also said many have become uncomfortable that the marketing department appeared to be playing an undefined role in the newsroom.
No member of the news staff would comment on the issue.
“We’ll let the e-mail speak for itself,” said reporter John Chase.
Kern, who was to meet with the news staff Thursday afternoon, issued a statement late in the day saying the newspaper had discontinued “a brief market research project that tested reader reaction to working story ideas that have not yet been published.”
“Premature dissemination of information about stories under development compromises the reporting process,” Kern said. “Our goal is to provide people with news reports that are fair, accurate and complete. Therefore, we publish stories only when they are ready … Research is an important tool in understanding consumer needs. It provides context, and we listen to it carefully. Each day, news decisions are made by journalists.”
Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit journalism organization in St. Petersburg, Fla., said he could not say whether the Tribune survey was unique, but is not aware of such an effort elsewhere.
The closest example he could cite was a feature, now discontinued, by the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, which allowed readers to pick a story for its front page.
“Now more than ever we have people saying we have to be sensitive to what our readers want,” Edmunds said. “It seems a little odd to be putting it to a vote before the fact. It could end up with story mix more Britney Spears that what is going on in City Hall.”
If true, the Tribune survey is only the latest practice by a Tribune Co. newspaper to raise the eyebrows of journalism professionals.
Earlier in April, The Los Angeles Times ran an advertisement resembling a news story on its front page. The ad, for the NBC program “Southland,” was labeled as an advertisement at the top, but was in a vertical column previously reserved for news. The text was next to a banner ad for the show at the bottom of the page.
A statement by the newspaper afterward indicated it was testing new approaches to the delivery of news, including new marketing opportunities for its advertisers. News industry analyst Ken Doctor of Outsell Inc. called the ad a “loony idea” that blurred the line on what readers can trust in the newspaper.
The controversy in the Tribune newsroom comes after 53 jobs were cut last week as part of a newsroom reorganization designed to help the company weather an economic downturn. The company had previously been forced to seek Chapter 11 protection from creditors. With the cuts, the newspaper has a newsroom staff of about 430.
In addition to the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, Chicago-based Tribune Co. owns The (Baltimore) Sun and other dailies, as well as 23 television stations and the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
Attorney Gordon Johnson
Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447 :: Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
http://subtlebraininjury.com :: http://brainanatomyguide.com :: http://car-accident-rain.com :: http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com :: http://vestibulardisorder.com :: http://youtube.com/profile?user=braininjuryattorney
CDC Finding re: Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
One of the most difficult to answer and unfortunately way to often asked questions on our 800 number is about coma prognosis and treatment. A study cited on the Center for Disease Control’s website (CDC) discusses new research in this area. With the Natasha Richardson seemingly mild brain injury that turned deadly, these findings become even more relevant.
From the CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dir/Brain_Trauma_Guidelines.htm
Attorney Gordon Johnson
Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447 :: Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
http://subtlebraininjury.com :: http://brainanatomyguide.com :: http://car-accident-rain.com :: http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com :: http://vestibulardisorder.com :: http://youtube.com/profile?user=braininjuryattorney
From the CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dir/Brain_Trauma_Guidelines.htm
CDC Study Finds that Adoption of the Brain Trauma Foundation Guidelines Could Result in a Substantial Reduction in Traumatic Brain-Injury-Related DeathsA great resource, but not distributed by the Federal Government, because of copyright restrictions. One really must wonder about the goals and objectives though of an organization called the Brain Trauma Association that is there to save lives in emergency situations, who restricts access to perhaps its most important educational goals. Some things should just simply be free of copyright. Were Federal tax dollars used for this research? How do non-profit organizations get their priorities so backwards?
CDC Study Finds that Adoption of the Brain Trauma Foundation Guidelines Could Result in a Substantial Reduction in Traumatic Brain-Injury-Related Deaths coverThe December issue of the Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care features a study conducted by CDC on the effectiveness of adopting the Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) in-hospital guidelines for the treatment of adults with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The findings presented in this article demonstrate that widespread adoption of these guidelines could result in a 50% decrease in deaths, and a savings of approximately $288 million in medical and rehabilitation costs. In addition, the study concludes that adopting these guidelines could result in $3.8 billion—the estimated lifelong savings in annual societal costs for severely injured TBI patients.
This study demonstrates that routine use of these guidelines could result in a substantial reduction in deaths and medical, rehabilitative, and societal costs.
The BTF guidelines for in-hospital care were developed over 10 years ago, in collaboration with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). Companion guidelines for pre-hospital care were prepared with the support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and issued later. Although disseminated widely, these guidelines need far greater implementation.
To purchase this special issue, access the publisher’s website.*
(CDC is unable to provide free copies because of copyright regulations.)
Attorney Gordon Johnson
Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447 :: Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
http://subtlebraininjury.com :: http://brainanatomyguide.com :: http://car-accident-rain.com :: http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com :: http://vestibulardisorder.com :: http://youtube.com/profile?user=braininjuryattorney
State Brain Injury Associations: Advocacy on the Move
The acknowledgment that brain injury is an important concern has been sparked by stories of soldiers affected by the war in Iraq. But long before 911 or our involvement in Iraq, the United States has been well served by the Brain Injury Association of America in its advocacy for brain injured individuals.
On the state level, state brain injury associations are active in all aspects of brain injury. You can find your state office by visiting http://biausa.org/stateoffices.htm Each year these associations hold state conferences to address the needs and concerns of those in the brain injury field and those affected by brain injury on a personal basis.
In Wisconsin we are represented by BIAW: http://biaw.org/site/
During this year’s conference they are hoping to address a myriad of topics and concerns.
Many have inquired about the possibility of a summer camp for TBI individuals. If you are interested in participating in a summer camp please email Terri Swanson at admin@biaw.org or write to them at BIAW, 21100 W. Capitol Dr. Ste. 5, Pewaukee, WI 53072. They are also looking for input or suggestions on topics or speakers.
In order to increase the number of Certified Brain Injury Specialists in Wisconsin they are contemplating holding a training and examination the day before the conference. This would fulfill the annual 10 hours of in-service training required of service providers.
They are also interested in any input on what program, resource or service needs should be addressed as well as seeking interested survivors, family members and professionals who might be willing to speak during the program.
The 19th Annual Wisconsin Conference on Brain Injury will take place on May 12th and 13th at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Green Bay, WI. Please check their website for updates on the schedule. http://biaw.org/site/
If brain injury touches your life in any way I strongly urge you to attend your state conferences and to become a member of your state association. It is numbers that make the difference.
Attorney Gordon Johnson
Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447 :: Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
http://subtlebraininjury.com :: http://brainanatomyguide.com :: http://car-accident-rain.com :: http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com :: http://vestibulardisorder.com :: http://youtube.com/profile?user=braininjuryattorney
On the state level, state brain injury associations are active in all aspects of brain injury. You can find your state office by visiting http://biausa.org/stateoffices.htm Each year these associations hold state conferences to address the needs and concerns of those in the brain injury field and those affected by brain injury on a personal basis.
In Wisconsin we are represented by BIAW: http://biaw.org/site/
During this year’s conference they are hoping to address a myriad of topics and concerns.
Many have inquired about the possibility of a summer camp for TBI individuals. If you are interested in participating in a summer camp please email Terri Swanson at admin@biaw.org or write to them at BIAW, 21100 W. Capitol Dr. Ste. 5, Pewaukee, WI 53072. They are also looking for input or suggestions on topics or speakers.
In order to increase the number of Certified Brain Injury Specialists in Wisconsin they are contemplating holding a training and examination the day before the conference. This would fulfill the annual 10 hours of in-service training required of service providers.
They are also interested in any input on what program, resource or service needs should be addressed as well as seeking interested survivors, family members and professionals who might be willing to speak during the program.
The 19th Annual Wisconsin Conference on Brain Injury will take place on May 12th and 13th at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Green Bay, WI. Please check their website for updates on the schedule. http://biaw.org/site/
If brain injury touches your life in any way I strongly urge you to attend your state conferences and to become a member of your state association. It is numbers that make the difference.
Attorney Gordon Johnson
Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447 :: Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
http://subtlebraininjury.com :: http://brainanatomyguide.com :: http://car-accident-rain.com :: http://tbilaw.com
http://waiting.com :: http://vestibulardisorder.com :: http://youtube.com/profile?user=braininjuryattorney