SAN DIEGO – Journalists from NBC’s Dateline, Glamour, KPIX (CBS, San Francisco), KGO radio (San Francisco), Naples Daily News (Florida), and WebMD will receive the preeminent 2003 Circle of Excellence Media Award, presented by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) at Plastic Surgery 2003 in San Diego, October 25-29. With more than 5,000 members, the ASPS is the largest plastic surgery organization in the world and the foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
Now in it’s 13th year, the Circle of Excellence Media Awards recognize journalists whose research skills, initiative and commitment to the specialty have led to top-quality reporting on plastic surgery.
“As media coverage of plastic surgery increases and with the emergence of fictional shows, such as Nip/Tuck, more people are relying on news organizations to provide them with up-to-date, real, information on plastic surgery,” said Richard Greco, MD, ASPS Public Education Committee chair. “More than ever, it is critical for accurate messages about plastic surgery to be in the news. One way to encourage informative, non-sensational reporting of plastic surgery is to recognize examples of it.”
Entries are judged in the following categories: Television – National Network/Cable, Television – Local Broadcast, Magazine, Newspaper, Radio, News Service, and News Web site.
Television – National Network/Cable: Justin Balding, producer, won for his NBC Dateline segment, “The Choice: Two Lives to Live,” which followed a Dallas-based surgical team’s decision about whether to separate Egyptian twins, conjoined at the head, so they could live a more normal life.
Television – Local Broadcast : Margaret Slattery, producer, won for her KPIX-TV Evening Magazine (CBS-San Francisco) piece, “New Look on Life.” The four-part segment reported on the volunteer efforts of San Francisco area physicians aiding children afflicted with cleft lip and palate and other deformities in Peru through the non-profit organization Interplast.
Magazine: Maura Kelly, senior news reporter, won for her Glamour magazine article, “When Plastic Surgeons Say No,” which detailed scenarios in which board-certified plastic surgeons say “no” to prospective cosmetic plastic surgery patients who have unhealthy or unrealistic expectations. Unrealistic expectations in the article included: patients wanting cosmetic surgery to transform their lives, patients seeing imperfections that weren’t there, patients having cosmetic surgery to please someone other than themselves, and patients wanting liposuction as a substitute for eating right.
Newspaper: Beth Francis, medical/health writer, won for her Naples Daily News (Florida) article, “New Man in the Mirror,” about one man’s journey through one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S. – the facelift. The article was complemented with a side bar entitled, “Research, research, research before you make a commitment,” which detailed the importance of checking a physician’s credentials before having plastic surgery.
Radio: Erik Nordby, producer, won for his KGO radio (San Francisco) segment on the growth of cosmetic plastic surgery in the midst of a sagging economy. The segment covered a broad range of topics including: the popularity of breast augmentation, tummy tucks, Botox, and male vs. female cosmetic plastic surgery patients.
News Web Site: Jeanie Lerche Davis, senior writer, won for her WebMD article, “Seven New Trends in Cosmetic Surgery,” about the latest techniques and innovations in cosmetic plastic surgery including buttock implants; methods for reducing capsular contracture in breast augmentation patients; emerging injectable fillers; and products like fibrin glues and tissue sealants that help control the postoperative effects of surgery, such as bruising and swelling.
The 2003 Circle of Excellence Media Award winners were selected by ASPS member plastic surgeons and communications professionals. Entries were judged on originality, creativity, writing quality and presentation, message clarity, and educational benefit to the public. Winners are awarded a Circle of Excellence Media Award, a check for $500, and receive roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations for Plastic Surgery 2003. ASPS has recognized journalistic excellence through its Circle of Excellence Media Awards since 1990.
ASPS, founded in 1931, is the largest plastic surgery organization in the world and the foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. For referrals to ABPS-certified plastic surgeons in your area and to learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, call the ASPS at (888) 4-PLASTIC (1-888-475-2784) or visit www.plasticsurgery.org .
Note: Reporters can register to attend Plastic Surgery 2003 by logging on to www.plasticsurgery.org/news_room/Annual-Meeting-Media-Information.cfm or by contacting ASPS Public Relations at (847) 228-9900 or in San Diego, October 25-29 at (619) 525-6241.
CONTACT:
Media Relations (847) 228-9900 media@plasticsurgery.org
