Journalistic issues raised by the Jared Diamond case

The latest on the $10m lawsuit filed by two Papua New Guineans on April 20, against New Yorker magazine and Jared Diamond (follow link for background).

As Knight Science Journalism Tracker noted the AAAS’s Science magazine gives a detailed account of the case and appear to have obtained the first quotes from Diamond and the New Yorker Magazine in regards to the allegations. Science magazine’s article is available to subscribers, at this link.

According to Science, Diamond told them: “Everyone knows that The New Yorker is not a scientific publication; it’s journalism.”

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker is also quoted: “Journalistic practice differs from scientific practice in a number of ways and this seems to be one of them. Using real names is the default practice in journalism.”

Remnick  defended Diamond’s article to Science. “It appears that The New Yorker and Jared Diamond are the subject of an unfair and, frankly, mystifying barrage of accusations”. Diamond told Science: “The complaint has no merit at all.”

StinkyJournalism.org, which published the report investigating Diamond’s article have responded to the Science feature here, at this link.

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