Petrelis Files

Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.
New York Times
New York, NY
Email: asulz@nytimes.com


Dear Mr. Sulzberger,

It is my understanding the Times is conducting an investigation into questions regarding a possible conflict of interest of the part of your medical reporter, Lawrence K. Altman, M.D., and I eagerly await the findings of the standards editor’s investigation.

In addition to the concerns about Dr. Altman raised in my March 1 letter to public editor Daniel Okrent, I wish to add another.

The Times’ current code of conduct for ethical journalism states in paragraph 32, that staff “may not be listed on the masthead of any non-Times publication, except for publications serving organizations of the sort described in paragraph 70. Common examples include a church or synagogue newsletter, an alumni magazine or a club bulletin.” [1]

I’ve discovered that the 1997 American edition of the Merck Manual published by the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant; Dr. Altman is so listed on the masthead page of the manual’s home edition.

On the following page, associations for the editor-in-chief and editorial board are provided, and, of course, for Dr. Altman, his top affiliation is listed as a medical correspondent for the Times, and his second is as an associate professor at New York University. He is the only journalist on the editorial board, which calls more attention to his link with the Times.

Although the 1997 edition is not available on line, the masthead for the 2003 edition of the Portuguese translation for the Brazilian market is, and Dr. Altman’s name and Times affiliation are again included. [2]

Since Dr. Altman is a very public face of the Times, and has been for decades, it seems extremely odd to me that he would be allowed to any way be connected to Merck, without raising a conflict of interest query or two from Times management.

As a Times reader, I am cognizant Dr. Altman’s reported on Merck in the past and is highly likely do so in the future. Merck’s business activities are certainly of interest to Times readers. Having a Times reporter serve in an editorial capacity for the manual may be one way of garnering positive news coverage.

Hence, I wonder if and how Altman’s professional relationship with Merck influences what he reports on the company.
Dr. Altman, a former employee at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Public Health Service, currently is on advisory board of the nonprofit National Foundation for the C.D.C., teaches at the New York University Medical Center, presently serves as a member of the board of the Josiah Macy Foundation, and is a member of the editorial board of the Merck Manual – all this raises conflicts of interest for me as a Times reader.

Please direct the standards editor to investigate Dr. Altman’s connection to Merck, and determine if his relationship with the pharmaceutical firm is problematic.

Regards,
Michael Petrelis
San Francisco, CA
Ph: 415-621-6267

Sources:
1. http://www.poynterextra.org/extra/ethics.pdf

2. http://www.msd-brazil.com/msd43/m_manual/equipe_ed.htm