New York Times Failed to Note Author of Fetus Pain Study Had NARAL Connection

In an August 24, 2005, article (reg. req'd), "Study Finds 29-Week Fetuses Probably Feel No Pain and Need No Abortion Anesthesia," the New York Times failed to inform its readers that the lead author of the reported study, Susan J. Lee, once worked for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

The Times article also failed to mention that the study's authors neglected to inform the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the publisher of the study, of this blatant conflict of interest.

Were the authors hiding the former NARAL relationship from JAMA? In an informative article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, JAMA editor-in-chief Catherine D. DeAngelis was quoted as saying, "This is the first I've heard about it," she said. "We ask them to reveal any conflict of interest. I would have published [the disclosure if it had been made]."

Big kudos to the Laura Ingraham Show for covering this.