A Rare Case of Balance

Editor & Publisher is an industry-specific weekly publication for the 4th estate, the newspaper industry. Now I realize I promised not to bore you with steroid news you already knew but I thought you'd find this case of balance interesting.

On the very same page in today's online edition as an E&P interview with the crusading Associated Press sportswriter who broke the baseball steroid story in 1998 by claiming to see a bottle of androstenedione in baseball slugger Mark McGwire's locker, E&P also has an "Ads by Google" panel advertising steroids.

The ads, apparently displayed as a result of the reporter's use of the "S" word in the E&P story, solicit readers to "Buy Hardcore Anabolics" and "Buy Anabolic Steroids." To wit:

I don't want to take E&P or Google's advertising arm to task for this. And it's not because I've been published in E&P, which I have, or that Google owns Blogger. These companies probably don't realize the ads are there beside this particular story. I doubt the artificial intelligence of computer generated and targeted ads would have enough ethical sense to stop advertisements for rope in a story on a hanging.

I picked this because it's just such a good example of our national duplicity on such topics. As a nation, the U. S. has to make up its mind: Are steroids good or bad? If they're bad, ban them completely, natural and synthetic. If they're not that bad, sell them with a warning label that they're unhealthy and extended use will increase your delts' but shrink your 'nads and may cause depression and cancer.

I'm just a great believer in staking out a position on an issue and sticking to it ... until I change my mind.

And while we're doing that, can we make it that much less confusing for the youngsters who hear "Don't take drugs!" and "Hugs not drugs!" from the government and "Take your medicine now dear and you'll feel all better." from their mothers? I know "Don't take drugs!" is catchy as a slogan on a bumper sticker or t-shirt, but could the ONDCP be more specific so my buddy's daughter knows doing the Pepto is okay?

Maybe we need a little known congressional oversight subcommittee hearing on it ... Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), are you still looking for some network face time???

[UPDATE 3/21/2005: I sent the URL for this post to several individuals at Editor & Publisher and received a note back from editor Greg Mitchell. His note and my response follow (I am going to FUBAR the e-mail addresses for spam prevention purposes only):

Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:36:13 -0600
To: GMitchell@ediXXXXXXandpubXXXX.com
From: Mark McBride (NEWSXXX@6thXXXX.com)
Subject: Re: goggling

Hello Mr. Mitchell:

Thanks for your comments. I'll include them as an update to the post. I find it gracious that you have taken your time to respond. I hadn't expected to hear directly from the editor of Editor & Publisher. I had sent the post to the senior editor who wrote the steroid story, Joe Strupp, as he might be concerned because of the ethical aspects, and, as it concerned technology, your senior editor for technology, Jim Rosenberg.

I don't think it would be ethical for me to write a "guest Web" -- that would be me working for a newsmaker, E&P, I chose to cover, or even take direction on how I should write any particular story and who I might include as sources in that story. I realize some reporters accept reciprocating favors from sources or newsmakers; I choose not to accept them.

As the APME Code of Ethics states: The good newspaper "should report matters regarding itself or its personnel with the same vigor and candor as it would other institutions or individuals." That's pretty much states the ball's in your court.

I appreciate the offer but ethics forces me to decline. Again, thank you.


At 03:04 PM 3/21/2005, GMitchell@ediXXXXXXandpubXXXX.com wrote:

Thanks for your note on the steroids ad. Certainly I wasn't aware of that specific ad, tho it doesn't surprise me totally. I think you note on your blog that it's hard to halt this short of cutting all ties to google. But it raises a good point about this wave of the future and how anyone's well meaning content can now trigger unwelcome ads (even illegal, perhaps). You ought to write a guest Web for us on that subject, and even use us as an example, tho looking at it as a media or Web-wide issue....... GM

]

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Terri Schindler Schiavo's lessons: What can I say about this case that hasn't already been said and felt. It's horrible, the decision that must be made. Whatever decision, someone's heart will break and never heal. Seventy-five years ago, the question of whether to keep Mrs. Schiavo alive wouldn't have been brought up. But technology today keeps her alive when nature alone would have taken her life. Her lesson is that you must make the decision or someone else will make it for you. Every adult should explicitly say whether they wish to be kept alive using extraordinary mechanical means if they ever are in a medical condition where they cannot physically communicate their wishes. These legal documents are called "Living Wills" and "Do Not Resuscitate," or "DNR" orders. They are legal documents that must be notarized and witnessed. Mrs. Schiavo's lesson is to have us each prepare these documents before our families are requested to read our minds. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your family. Spare them this heartache. Make the decision and make sure your family knows the documents exist and where to find them should the need ever arise.

[Update: From the Associated Press via Yahoo!. Death Process From Starvation and Dehydration:

The general process of death for patients whose food and hydration tubes are withdrawn:

_Day One: The percutaneous endoscopic gastrotomy tube, which is placed through the skin and into the stomach, is removed in a simple surgical procedure. Patients who do not have mental cognition to have a sense of thirst or hunger will not be uncomfortable.

_ Days Three to Four: Urine output decreases and patients begin to lose normal body secretions. The mouth begins to look dry and the eyes appear sunken. Patients will look thinner because the body tissues have lost fluid. Their heart rate gradually goes up and their blood pressure goes down. In some patients, dehydration releases endorphins in the brain that create a state of euphoria.

_ Days Five to 10: People who are alert have a marked decrease in their alertness. Respiration becomes irregular with periods of very fast and then very slow breathing. Some patients will become restless, while others will be less active. For patients in a persistent vegetative state, there may be no discernible change in their movements.

_ Days 10 to Death: Patients do not appear to respond to their environment at all and may appear to be in a coma. Length of death process is determined by how well-nourished patient was and how much body fat and fluid they had when procedure began. May be outward signs of dehydration, such as extremely dry skin. Kidney function declines and toxins begin accumulating in the body. Toxins cause respiratory muscles to fail. Multiple organ systems begin to fail from lack of nutrition.

Source: LifePath Hospice.

This is the wrong way for a person to die. It's cruel and tantamount to torture. And another issue this country must address as we will confront this issue more and more as the baby-boomers age and get sick. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, there is no dignity in a death by starvation and dehydration. Additional reading: Where Europe stands on euthanasia.]