BMJ  2004;329 (4 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7478.0-g

Editor's choice

Why nakedness is bad

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Avid BMJ readers will know that we care a great deal about transparency—or nakedness, as one of our editorial team once suggested we rebrand it—but has our idealism separated us from reality? Transparency is important in the rarefied atmosphere of Tavistock Square, London, where we think pure editorial thoughts (p1345). In the "real" world, transparency may be problematic.

The Health Council of the Netherlands thinks so. It advises the Dutch government on health, food, and environment policy, with a "sharp distinction between what is displayed to the public and what is kept concealed." Roland Bal and others argue that by keeping meetings confidential the council paradoxically allows its members to be open in their views, free of lobbying (p1339). To them the performance of the council is akin to theatre, with backstage deliberations unnecessary for public consumption. If displayed they would radically change the meaning of . . . [Full text of this article]

Kamran Abbasi, acting editor

(kabbasi@bmj.com)


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