Retroviruses Conference: Press Deadline December 6

The 4th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, January 22-26, 1997 at the Sheraton Washington Hotel in Washington, DC, will probably be the most important AIDS conference in the U.S. in 1997. The deadline for "community based newsletters" (most AIDS-related newsletters) to register as press is December 6. For "all other press," (newspaper and TV reporters, freelance writers on assignment, etc.) the deadline is January 10, and applications will be processed first come first served. Many industry publications may not be allowed to register as press in either category. There is no on-site registration.

The Community Liaison Subcommittee will review and approve the community press applications, and applicants will be notified in mid December. This Subcommittee is excellent, but only has a limited number of slots to approve.

The bottom line is that anyone who wants to attend this conference needs to start making arrangements as soon as possible. For more information, obtain the Press Registration packet from the Retrovirus Conference Secretariat, c/o Infections Diseases Society of America (IDSA), 703/299-0200, fax 703/299-0204.

Press rules include no photography, video recording, or formal interviews in session rooms or the poster hall, and no photography elsewhere except with prior approval. Audio recordings are allowed, but not for republication or rebroadcast.

For those not going, the published abstracts are scheduled to be available on the Internet on January 22, at http://www.idsociety.org. The printed abstract book will be sent two weeks in advance to all registered press.

Comment

As we have noted in previous articles, some of the press rules for this conference are highly unusual and a major impediment to rapid, accurate reporting. For almost ten years we photographed poster presentations and occasional slides at AIDS conferences without ever being told not to. At the Vancouver conference we found that a good-quality video camera was exceptionally useful, both for recording posters and for recording key slides with the accompanying discussion. We have taken these pictures only to assure the accuracy of our own reporting, never for republication. Traditionally, only FLASH photography in oral sessions has been banned, for good reason. But at the retroviruses meeting the cameras will apparently be limited to interviews in the press room, damaging accurate technical reporting for no public benefit.

Another major press problem at the Retroviruses conference is the requirement that mainstream media register in advance. We do not know of any effective way to communicate this requirement to those who need to know. Enforcement will mean that press is turned away, as happened last year. The public has a legitimate interest in AIDS research, and is more likely to provide support if it can see the results.

The happenstance dynamics of one major and prestigious conference must not be allowed to establish a general pattern of dysfunctional impediments to the communication of AIDS research information.