Former rugby player Gareth Thomas reveals his HIV status under media pressure. Ex-wales captain said on Saturday that I would absolutely not reveal HIC status if a newspaper had not given the threat to publish it. He made an announcement regarding HIV status before finishing an Ironman triathlon.
Thomas Told BBC Wales the tabloids will create their own law and he was not able to fight them because of money. He said keeping a secret was the hardest part of the diagnosis because I was living in fear of being published it.
Thomas posted a video on twitter and said he made an announcement after threats were made to reveal his HIV status.
When asking about to speak about his HIV status without press involvement, he said: “ I will love to sit and say yes, but it would be a hypocrite action.”
Thomas revealed that a journalist had told about his HIV status before he spoke by himself. So just imagine what in what condition I am facing. I can never take a moment when I told my mother and father about something so personal to me. They love so much and support me through anything.
Moreover, he also spoke about the front-page story of Sun Newspaper when utterly disgusting news was published about his family. It is the traumatic events that had affected his family in New Zealand.
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Chairperson of the Parliamentary digital, culture, media and sport committee Damian Collins MP said to BBC, “ it is unbelievable that media is putting pressure for the public interest. I think it’s a private matter, and it’s a personal decision for Thomas to take.
Angela Philips, who is the professor of journalism at Goldsmiths University London, said the stories like Thomas and stokes are questionable on media ethics rather than the press freedom or law.
She said during a talk with BBC 5 Live we are in a situation where our tabloid press because of the internet and social media and the way of which story reveals.
After stoke story, executive director of the Society of Editors Ian Murray said Must Care to e taken over the free press principle. I am not defending the Sun newspaper, but I am supporting the principle and just saying be careful about what we do.
Thomas reveals his story on the BBC on Wednesday through a video.
— Gareth Thomas (@gareththomas14) September 14, 2019
Former British Captain Thomas said I wanted to show how people with HIV are mispresented as needing walking sticks.
