The 18-across clue in today's New York Times crossword puzzle reads, "Memorable Marathon Man query." The correct answer, of course, is "Is it Safe?"
Everyone, it seems (including my hero, Will Shortz) wants to talk about safety.
And nobody more so (or more appropriately so) than the FDA. Remember -- it was Milton Friedman who said that the FDA was "obsessed with safety." And while Professor Friedman didn't mean it as a badge of honor -- it was taken as such by the 10,000 dedicated public servants at the agency.
But, unfortunately, safety seems only to "sell" when there's a tabloid quality to it. Ask yourself this: What do Vioxx and Avandia and Heparin all have in common? Answer: Page One coverage.
In today's New York Times, reporting on the FDA's new "Sentinel" program appears on Page A18 -- on a slow news day.
It's just another example of tabloid journalism trumping solid reporting. And, for the record, the article in the New York Times by Gardiner Harris is a solid piece of reporting. Have a look :
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/washington/23fda.html
Tabloid is easy. Quality is hard.
Everyone, it seems (including my hero, Will Shortz) wants to talk about safety.
And nobody more so (or more appropriately so) than the FDA. Remember -- it was Milton Friedman who said that the FDA was "obsessed with safety." And while Professor Friedman didn't mean it as a badge of honor -- it was taken as such by the 10,000 dedicated public servants at the agency.
But, unfortunately, safety seems only to "sell" when there's a tabloid quality to it. Ask yourself this: What do Vioxx and Avandia and Heparin all have in common? Answer: Page One coverage.
In today's New York Times, reporting on the FDA's new "Sentinel" program appears on Page A18 -- on a slow news day.
It's just another example of tabloid journalism trumping solid reporting. And, for the record, the article in the New York Times by Gardiner Harris is a solid piece of reporting. Have a look :
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/washington/23fda.html
Tabloid is easy. Quality is hard.
