News Coverage of CIRM Awards: Substantial but Not Extensive

Posted: July 29, 2012 at 3:53 pm


The California stem cell agency today
enjoyed substantial, if sparse, news coverage of the

$151 million in research funding
approved by its board yesterday.
Both the San Francisco Chronicle and
The Sacramento Bee carried solid stories on the grant awards. In the
case of the Chronicle, the story included compelling photos of
patients who spoke during emotional, tear-filled presentations.
The stories represent a modest change
from the past, when media outlets all but ignored the agency's
awards.
The Bee's Richard Chang wrote,

“For Melissa Biliardi of Santa
Maria, the (CIRM board) vote symbolizes hope. Her son, James
Birdsall, 32, was diagnosed four years ago with Huntington's disease.
The degenerative brain disorder could prove fatal over the next 10 to
15 years. There is currently no cure or treatment, but with the
grant, UC Davis researchers hope to deliver an effective therapy in
four years.
"'This is the most hope we've ever
had for a cure or treatment,' Biliardi said.”

The Chronicle's Erin Allday wrote,

“California's stem cell funding
agency on Thursday approved nearly $100 million in grants for
research into heart disease, cancer and spinal cord injuries, and to
the cheers of dozens of patients and their supporters, it also
awarded money to rare but devastating diseases with no cure.”

The articles demonstrated the
effectiveness of patients and patient advocates in telling the CIRM
story. Reporters are always looking for a warm human dimension –
especially to enhance a dry, bare-bones science and government story.
Responding to a question from the
California Stem Cell Report, Kevin McCormack, spokesman for CIRM,
also mentioned radio news coverage in the San Francisco Bay Area. He
said the awards were covered in “two different stories on KCBS-AM
radio, one that ran several times yesterday and another that ran
several times today. KGO-AM radio also ran a story several tim, and,
of course, the best of all, today's KQED-FM Forum.”
The KQED show, which was also carried
nationally on Sirius radio, consisted of an hour-long look at CIRM,
with some calls from listeners. Guests on the show were CIRM
President, Alan Trounson, UC Davis stem cell researcher Jan Nolta and
yours truly, David Jensen.
Other stories appeared in the SanFrancisco Business Times and Genetic Engineering News. The Bee's
story appeared in the Modesto Bee as well.

Source:
http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

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