Petrelis Files

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Forwarded Message:
Subj: Your E-mails
Date: 2/18/2005 3:57:14 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: mathis@nytimes.com
To: MPetrelis@aol.com
CC: sho@virologic.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)


Dear Mr. Petrelis,

Thank you for your recent e-mails.

We don't think our omissions of the connections in the Monday article are
important enough for an editor's note. An editor's note would suggest that
a) our reporting was deficient and b) the omissions were central to the
story; i.e., that it is plausible that Frieden and Ho's connections
influenced their decisions in the AIDS case in some unseemly way. Neither
was the case. Though Ho is a scientific advisor to ViroLogic, in this story
ViroLogic was bit player in a detective story. The relevance of the Frieden
connection to Ho's center is unclear.

Those connections do seem worth reporting out for a different sort of
article, one that looks squarely at the skepticism and jealousies aroused
by this case. We are doing that reporting now and may have an article for
the weekend.

With regard to your questions concerning Dr. Altman, as you point out, the
Times' code of ethics specifically allows a reporter to accept an honorary
degree. Moreover, Dr. Altman first asked Times newsroom management whether
he could accept this particular award, and was told yes because it is
consistent with our ethics code.

Sincerely,

Catherine Mathis
Vice President
Corporate Communications
The New York Times Company