The short answer is NO. So is the longer one.
Consider this An Open Letter to Journalists Who Find Themselves A Little Confused. I’ll do this little “cheat sheet” in bullets because, frankly, I don’t have the patience for pleasantries. And I figure I need to get to the point clearly. It seems many journalists are very confused.
1. I have never said I’m anti-vaccination. Dozens of journalists have claimed that I am, regurgitating each others’ incorrect stories. None have bothered to contact me for comment. Or bothered to Google the topic. If they did, they’d find this.
2. I am pro-vaccination. And have written as such.
3. This is something journalists need to know:
When journalists claim I’m anti-vax they are “creating” a poster girl for the movement.
This is incredibly irresponsible and gives power to the very movement they’re railing against.
4. I have had enough of being put up as that poster girl and will be taking action to have stories corrected when it does happen. I have requested the Herald Sun pull down their latest effort by Susie O’Brien (who also, curiously, refers to “raw milk-drinking vegans”). For instance.
5. Context is king. References to me voicing the anti-vax argument were made in the context of having being asked on Sunrise back in early 2013 to explain the reasons that parents from a wealthy suburb in Sydney were giving for not vaccinating their children. I explained what their reasoning was, drawing on the news link in question, as well as previous studies conducted on the matter, while citing it wasn’t my opinion.
6. I will always believe both sides of any argument should be explored. The Great Thinkers always said that knowing the other side puts you in a much better position to convincingly make your point. I will never tolerate being told that exploring the anti-vax argument is wrong.
Heads in sand make very muffled arguments.
Fellow journalists, I hope this makes things super clear and I invite you to go back and correct any incorrect reports you’ve contributed to. It would be the responsible thing to do.
Yours fairly,
Sarah
