Petrelis Files

March 30, 2005

Jack Shafer
pressbox@hotmail.com
Slate

Hey Jack:

You're always going after the New York Times for its reliance on anonymous sources in its international and national coverage, for which I applaud you.

I want to call you attention to an article in the New York Region section about the New York City Department of Health issuing more information on the investigation into the drug resistant HIV mutant strain. It was written by Marc Santora and it should win some awards in how to allow a health department to use the Times to get out a release and masquerade it as news.

Let's start with the number of times the paper cites unnamed "health officials" or "officials:" 8.

Quotes from NYC health honcho Dr. Tom Frieden: 5.

Number of instances the department's release is used: 3.

Unnamed person briefed on the investigation or investigator mentioned: 2.

Number of department critics, from either the AIDS research or activist communities, quoted: 0.

I'm so used to reading AIDS stories in the Times, which can be summed up in two words, "Officials Said," that today's piece by Santora doesn't surprise me in the least.

Maybe you can find out from the Times why there were eight instances in this one story when the officials were not named and no reason for not naming them was given. Did they fear for their jobs if quoted by name? What possible reason could the Times have for not naming NYC health officials on these matters?

Considering the sucking up the NYC health department does to the Times it doesn't take a p.r. specialist to read things like the following in such blatant rewrites of department announcement, allowed to appear in the Times as news:

"Given the heated reaction and the complexity of the scientific questions involved, it is not surprising that the department has been cautious in releasing details about the inquiry."

Um, to whom exactly does the Times think it is not surprising that information had been withheld until now? The unnamed health officials surely, but to an activist like me, it is shocking and unacceptable the department has chosen to practice public health through press conference and "reporting" in the Times.

What say you? Are eight instances of not naming officials in one Times story good or bad journalism?

Hope to hear from you.

Best,
Petrelis
^^^

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/30/nyregion/30aids.html?

March 30, 2005

The New York Times

Tests pending in Cases Ties to Fierce HIV

By Marc Santora

Investigators looking into the possible spread of a virulent strain of H.I.V. detected in a New York City man have identified several patients who may have a related strain of the virus, but the investigators have cautioned that they cannot yet say if the cases are connected, health officials said yesterday.

Because of the complexity of the lab testing involved in matching strains of the virus, it could be months before health officials will be able to determine if others have indeed been infected with the dangerous strain, the officials said.

[snip]