Why A Media Center ?
Beginning in the mid-1990's, but particularly accelerated by the announcement of acceptable controlled clinical trial evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture by the National Institute of Health Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture in November 1997, public interest in acupuncture and traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine has grown at an unprecedented rate.

Because the authors we are priveledged to publish have fully participated in the peer system, their work (some of which can be found in the references section of this site) has been recognized as seminal in the Western transmission of these traditional medical arts.   However, we have generally been unprepared to handle the media attention and as working academics and clinicians whose responsibilities preclude their participation on the "conference circuit" and the usual book promotion events, they have been difficult, if not impossible, to reach for comment.   For example, Stephen Birch and Richard Hammerschlag who contributed powerfully to the materials examined at the Consensus Development Conference were never actually queried in all the press that conference engendered.

The Media Center is meant to assist in this regard in a small way.  We see three areas where we can be of some assistance to working editors and reporters.

1.  Providing access to authors,
2.  Providing references to sources of basic information,
3.  Providing  easy, ad hoc access to materials book reviewers and editors may require.

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