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ARC Activities - Media Work

Television Interviews

Penn and Teller "Bullshit" Program

Even greater acknowledgement of ARC and of the intactivist movement recently came, with a leading television program (Penn and Teller's "Bullshit") having filmed Marilyn Milos, Wayne Griffiths, Dr. Paul Fleiss, Dr. Mark Reiss, William Stowell, Linda Otis, and Steven (and Edgar Schoen and a rabbi) for a half-hour commercial-free broadcast on Showtime on April 25, 2005. The episode and focusing exclusively on circumcision and in part on the use of purloined foreskins in medical products and medical research.

2002

Fox 5 Washington, DC. Interviewed regarding circumcision litigation and the William Stowell case. April 6, 2002.

2001

Fox 5 WTTG-DC Washington, DC. Appeared on news feature entitled, "The Cruelest Cut•" regarding circumcision conference and the anti-circumcision movement. May 2, 2001.

1999

TV Ontario [Canada], "Singing the Gender Blues." Includes interview with J. Steven Svoboda. September 21, 1999.

"Accent on Wellness." New York City Cable Television. Footage of Presentation at Caravan of Dreams, New York City, August 5, 1999 by J. Steven Svoboda and Laurie Evans.

ABC 20/20 Feature on circumcision. January 15, 1999.

1998

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). November 1998.

1996

Oakland Cable Television. Host Charles Bonner. September 26, 1996.

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Radio Interviews

2002

"Scott SloanShow" Host Scott Sloan. WLW 700 AM, Cincinnati, Ohio. www.700wlw.com. October 10, 2002.

"The Drive Home" Host Scott Sloan. WSPD 1370 AM Toledo, Ohio. October 14, 2002.

"The Dom Giordano Show" WTHK 1210 AM Philadelphia, PA. August 13, 2002.

"Walden's Pond" With Marilyn Milos, Host Shelton Walden. WBAI Radio New York City. August 11, 2002.

"Family News in Focus" Syndicated radio show. Archived at www.Family.org. August 2002. (segment on circumcision mentioning ARC).

2001

"Walden's Pond." Host Shelton Walden. WBAI Radio New York City, December 30, 2001.

2000

"The Journey Home" Host Diego Mulligan. KSFR 90.7, Santa Fe, New Mexico. September 26, 2000.

"Walden's Pond." Host Shelton Walden. WBAI Radio New York City. June 22, 2000.

"Adler On Line" Host Charles Adler. CJOB 68 AM, Winnipeg, Manitoba. May 24, 2000.

1998

Wisconsin Public Radio Interview with International USA Executive Director William Schultz. November 6, 1998.

"Lexington Today" With Wayne Hampton. Host Larry Joe Treadway. WXLG Lexington, Kentucky. July 23, 1998.

"Breakfast Club" With Naomi Penner. Host Anthony Abrahams. "Hot 102," Kingston, Jamaica. June 22, 1998.

"Way Too Early" Harry Osibin, KITS 105.3 ("Live 105") San Francisco, June 21, 1998.

"Men's Room" with Pradeep Ramanathan. Host Max Elliot. KBPA San Francisco, May 28, 1998.

"Walden's Pond." Host Shelton Walden. WBAI Radio New York City. February 19, 1998.

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Print Interviews

2002

Interviewed on June 23, 2002 by National Journal reporter Shawn Zeller. Article published as "Activists Fight Circumcision•" on p. 1962 of the June 29, 2002 issue.

Interviewed on May 7, 2002 by Mothering Magazine reporter Gussie Fauntleroy for article on circumcision.

Interviewed on April 30, 2002 by [North Carolina] Independent reporter Rachel Gathercole for article on circumcision. Article published on pp. 25, 28-29 of the June 12-18, 2002 issue.

Interviewed on April 6, 2002 by New York Times reporter David Allyn for article on circumcision Publication date unknown.

2001

Interviewed on November 15, 2001 by Parenting Magazine reporter Dina Roth for article on circumcision. unknown.

Interviewed on June 24, 2001 by New York Times reporter David Allyn for article on circumcision litigation. Publication date unknown.

Interviewed on March 20, 2001 by Penthouse reporter Sharon Taxin. Article published as "The Penis Page," p. 120 of the December 2001 issue. This article was also published at www.cirp.org/news/penthouse11-01-01/.

1999

The Independent—Deborah Klinger. "Snip, Snip, All Done?: The Circumcision Debate Hits Home•" Durham, North Carolina, December 1-7, 1999.

Bay Area Parent—Catherine Salton. "The Circumcision Decision?•" September 1999, pp. 70-6.

Men's Fitness—R. Daniel Foster. "The First Cut: Do Uncircumcised Penises Have More Fun?•" September 1999, pp. 41-42, 130.

Los Angeles Times—Abigail Goodman. "Modern-Day Mohels Carry on Old Tradition" August 16, 1999.

Associated Press Writer—M. Boorstein. "Boosted by doctors and changing mores, advocates battle a rite." April 8, 1999.

Associated Press. March 1, 1999.

Agence France Presse. March 1, 1999.

Al Akhbar (Cairo, Egypt). March 1, 1999.

1998

Men's Health.—Mark Jenkins. "Did Circumcision Ruin Your Sex Life?." August 1998.

Mothering. "Attorneys for the Rights of the Child (ARC)" July/August 1998, at p. 47.

Brooklyn Bridge—Mike Duffy. "Circumcision Decisions" (Brooklyn, June 1998, pp. 71-75.)

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Selected Media Work

On November 26, 2004, Steven was interviewed for Penn & Teller's "Bullshit" program, a news feature appearing on Showtime. The show is scheduled to be broadcast in Spring 2005. Also interviewed for the show were Marilyn Milos, Dr. Paul Fleiss, Wayne Griffiths, Dr. Mark Reiss, William Stowell, Linda Otis, and from the other side, Dr. Edgar Schoen and a rabbi.

On September 3, 2004, independent British filmmaker and journalist Christopher Sykes interviewed Steven for a film on the intactivist movement that he is currently making.

On June 2, 2004, WWLTV Channel 4, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans, Louisiana, broadcast as part of Eyewitness News a "Medical Watch Report" entitled "Circumcision" in which Steven was interviewed by Meg Farris.

On March 13, 2004, Steven appeared on CIUT, 89.5FM, the University of Toronto's radio station, discuss male genital integrity with host Jesse Mendes. Also appearing on the show were activists Lawrence Barichello and Dennis Harrison.

In January 2004, Steven appeared on two successive weekly episodes of "The Men's Forum," a New York City Cable Television program produced by Gary Costanza. One episode, entitled, "Circumcision," focused on male genital integrity while the other episode, titled, "Men's Issues," overviewed general men's issues with discussion of male genital integrity. John McGrath cohosted the "Men's Issues" episode along with Costanza.

On January 31, 2003, we squared off against Thomas Wiswell on Fargo, North Dakota's "Hot Talk" radio show. The debate was hosted by Chris Walters live to run while the Flatt v. Kantak trial was in progress in that same city. Wiswell mistakenly claimed there were 200 million circumcised men in the US and was caught on the air in other errors and lies.

National Public Radio's "Cross Talk Show," hosted by Maria Sanchez at station KCLU 88.3/102.3 FM Los Angeles, devoted an hour to interviewing us and discussing intactivism and ARC's work on January 28, 2003.

The October 2002 issue of the Journal of Urology, the official publication of the previously somewhat foreskin-hostile American Urological Association, praised the consent article by Svoboda, Van Howe, and Dwyer, predicting that the article "will be used to support the argument of those who would favor outlawing routine circumcision."

ARC's work was featured in a profile in the Fall 2002 issue of the Harvard Law Bulletin. The article was entitled, "The Unkindest Cut" and was complimentary of intactivism.

PRNet graciously distributed ARC's press release on July 29, 2002 entitled "Circumcision Case to Proceed to Trial." This press release was picked up and published by Men's News Daily. See http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/stories/newswire080102a.htm.

On June 23, 2002, I was interviewed by Shawn Zeller, who wrote a full-page feature in the National Journal citing ARC's work and the work of other intactivist organizations. The article, entitled "Activists Fight Cirucmcision," was published on page 1962 of the June 29, 2002 National Journal.

PRNet (then called FaxNet) graciously distributed ARC's press release on August 15, 2001 entitled "United Nations Criticized for Sex Discrimination Against Males." This press release was picked up and published by Mensactivism.Org, NoSpank.Net, BirthLove.Com, and Everyman, October/November 2001, p. 57.

PRNet (then called FaxNet) again gave a helping hand with ARC's press release on June 10, 2001 entitled "

Boy Wins $1.4 Million for Circumcision as Procedure Becomes Increasingly Risky for Physicians to Perform." This press release led to an interview with the New York Times and was picked up and published by the Compleat Mother (Fall 2001 issue), Everyman, December 2001/January 2002, p. 54, and the East African Standard (Kenya). See www.eastandard.net/eahome/story310720010012.htm.

Appeared on Fox 5 WTTG-DC on May 2, 2001 on news feature entitled, "The Cruelest Cut."

Interviewed on March 20, 2001 by Penthouse reporter Sharon Taxin. Article published as "The Penis Page," p. 120 of the December 2001 issue. This article was also published at www.cirp.org/news/penthouse11-01-01/.

Interviewed on October 6, 2000 by [East Brunswick, New Jersey] Home News & Tribune regarding Matthew Price case, and interviewed regarding ARC's work for an article in the Daily Californian entitled "Group Derides Foreskin Removal" on November 3, 2000.

Appeared on September 26, 2000 with host Diego Mulligan on "The Journey Home," a program presented by KSFR 90.7-Santa Fe.

Appeared on May 24, 2000 with host Charles Adler on "Adler on Line," a program presenter by CJOB 68 AM-Winnipeg, Manitoba.

We were extensively interviewed in Ottawa on May 1, 1999 by TV Ontario in a program entitled "Singing the Gender Blues" which was broadcast in September 1999. In the fall of 1999, we also appeared on the New York City cable television program "Accent on Wellness." We have been interviewed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), by 20/20 for their recent feature on circumcision, by Men's Fitness magazine for an article on circumcision they are preparing for their July 1999 issue, by Bay Area Baby/Bay Area Parent, by Brooklyn Bridge, and by Men's Health for the excellent article it published last year. We have been quoted regarding the AAP policy statement in various publications and by various wire services including Associated Press, Agence France Presse and Al Akhbar, a leading Egyptian newspaper.

The March 1, 1999 release of the policy statement by the AAP on circumcision was a busy time for us as we prepared a press release and attended a press conference at which we were interviewed by network television channels and Dr. Dean Edell's crew.

In May-June 1998, we appeared on KITS-San Francisco ("Live 105"), KBPA-San Francisco, and on "The Breakfast Club" through a station based in Kingstown, Jamaica which broadcasts in Jamaica and over the Internet. We have also appeared on local television with ARC Board Member Charles Bonner.

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