STAT+: New England Journal of Medicine gets swept up in U.S. attorney inquiry into alleged bias

Last week, at least one scientific journal received a letter from a top U.S. attorney asking it to respond to alleged bias. Now, one of the world’s leading medical journals has received a similar inquiry as well. 

The New England Journal of Medicine’s editor in chief, Eric Rubin, received a letter from the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Edward R. Martin Jr. in recent days in which the prosecutor asked six questions, largely about alleged bias in the decision to publish unspecified content. The journal told STAT it responded by affirming its commitment to evidence-based recommendations and editorial independence.

“As practicing physicians, our editors recognize our responsibility to doctors and patients. We use rigorous peer review and editorial processes to ensure the objectivity and reliability of the research we publish,” Rubin wrote in his response. “We support the editorial independence of medical journals and their First Amendment rights to free expression. The Journal actively fosters scholarly scientific dialogue and remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting authors, readers, and patients.”

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