|
KMID : 1172020070080010001
|
|
Journal of Korean Bioethics Association
2007 Volume.8 No. 1 p.1 ~ p.11
|
|
|
Bioethics and Communication - Lessons learned from the Hwang’s Scandal -
|
|
Meng Kwang-Ho
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
Hwang, Woo-Suk, a Korean veterinarian biologist surprised the world by publishing a scientific article in the Science journal in 2004 on a stem cell line he his colleagues established from a cloned blastocyst. Another breakthrough of the next year made him a national hero with an article on the patient-specific embryonic stem cells. During these time periods, there were, of course, several backlashes to the Hwang’s researches from the Catholic Church, NGOs on science and society, and a group of bioethicists mainly on the ethical issues involved in his researches. However, the Korean public were not listening to these criticisms mainly because media failed to turn the discussions to public debate, and because of this, there have been no debates on ethical issues involved in obtaining the ova and experimenting on them. The socio-political context seemed to be much more important than philosophy or religion in the problem of stem cell research in Korea. This public sentiment continued even after the Hwang’s researches were later shown to be fraudulent. Biased media reporting undermines the quality of the public debate on the ethics of the biomedical researches. If the citizenry is to develop informed opinions on bioethical issues, without imposing the unrealistic expectations that they be trained as scientists, the media must ensure that scientific findings are accurately and objectively reported. The public must be made aware of the importance of bioethics in any biomedical researches through proper information, education, and communication. For this, general population should receive basic education on biomedical researches and bioethics during their school lives, and there must be well organized curricular on biomedical ethics for the researchers in the field of biomedical sciences. Moreover, the popular media should enrich the public debate by reporting accurately and without bias on the advances being made in biomedical science research.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Bioethics, communication, biomedical sciences, Hwang’s scandal, mass media
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|