NL-If I was Steven Hirsch, I would want more than a correction. AP should be issuing an apology. I agree that this mistake hurts Vivid as a company. People in the mainstream will read that first article and never see the "correction"
Vivid Entertainment co-chairman Steven Hirsch said today that he was relieved that the Associated Press had distributed a correction to an erroneous story that falsely reported on the leading adult studio’s health safety record.
"The Associated Press is one of the most highly regarded news gathering organizations in the world, but on August 20th the news agency failed to check its facts for a story with the headline ‘Porn Makers Challenged for not Mandating Condoms’ by Shaya Tayefe Mohajer," Mr. Hirsch said. "Her story incorrectly stated that five performers in Vivid films tested positive for HIV in 2004. This erroneous statement was damaging to our company and demonstrates that you can never be too careful in sex and in journalism. The truth is that throughout 2004 Vivid had a mandatory condom policy and every performer was, and is today, tested before he or she acts in one of our productions. None of our performers had or has HIV. We are pleased that AP sent out a correction on Saturday, August 22nd and only wish they had done so immediately after we called the error to their attention rather than waiting more than 24 hours."
Mr. Hirsch pointed out that since 2004 performers have acted in several hundred thousand-sex scenes shot by adult studios in the San Fernando Valley and there has only been one reported case of HIV. "It is far more dangerous for a person to have sex with someone they meet casually in a bar than it is for people who act in a carefully policed adult film setting. We are confident that we are taking all precautions and the results to date demonstrate that this is the case," he said.