BMJ 2003;327 (6 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7427.0-h
Editor's choice
The perils of free speech
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
An enthusiasm for free speech can lead you into strange company. For the past two weeks I've been receiving a stream of emails from "AIDS deniers" (those who are sceptical of the connection between HIV and AIDS) praising me for my love of debate. The praise follows an article in Nature (20 November, p 215) in which AIDS researchers criticised the BMJ for allowing "AIDS deniers" to post dozens of rapid responses on our website. If you search on bmj.com for material on AIDS then much of what you will discover questions the connection between HIV and AIDS. (If, however, you search "articles only," which excludes rapid responses, you'll find little such material.)
On Friday I opened the Times (28 November, p 31) and discover that I'm quoted with approval by Lord Harris of High Cross, a former chairman of Forest, the "voice and friend of the smoker." The quote
Richard Smith, editor
rsmith@bmj.com
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bmj.com, 7 Dec 2003 [Full text] - Freedom of speeh - Double edged sword.
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