Thursday, November 09, 2023

Journalism? Ethics? Media Disaster: WFIU/NPR's "The Rush to Kill"

Journalism? Ethics? Media Disaster: WFIU/NPR's 
"The Rush to Kill" Episode 4: Poison
Sent 11/7-11/8/2023

To: All Leadership, Faculty & Staff,  The Media School, Indiana University, Bloomington
Leadership Team, NPR
NPR's Investigations, Legal Affairs, Politics and Justice
 
CC: Indiana Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists
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All Indiana College/University Student Newspapers &
Student Journalism Groups
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all emails, at bottom
 
Subject: Journalism? Ethics? Media Disaster: WFIU/NPR's "The Rush to Kill" podcast, below
 
From:  Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
 
PREFACE
 
I am a pro death penalty expert (CV at bottom) and former opponent, who fact checked and vetted the debate for two years, prior to changing positions (constantly updated "Research, w/sources, w/fact checking/vetting & critical thinking, as required of everyone.", at bottom).
 
I have been working with media since 1995 (CV at bottom).
 
Factually, as a general rule, the media uses anti-death penalty material, with no fact checking, no vetting and, rarely, seeks out pro-death penalty experts as a balance for perspectives or for fact checking/vetting that anti-death penalty material, as repeated, below.
 
Very likely, this may have occurred within one of your articles or those of another, at your media home.
 
For perspective and research, here are seven pro death penalty experts, listed within "Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research ", at bottom.
 
I have been sending out material like this, for decades, not expecting any consideration, correction, cooperation or acknowledgement and, very rarely, have I been surprised.
 
Any ethical interest? Please, surprise me. Take a look:
 
I look forward to speaking with you.
 
Journalism? Ethics? Media Disaster: WFIU/NPR's "The Rush to Kill" podcast
 
originally sent 11/4/2023, updated/edit resent 11/5, herein
 
slight but important additional edits 11/6
 
To: "The Rush to Kill "Team (The WFIU/NPR Team)
WFIU's George Hale, Cathy Knapp, Sara Wittmeyer, Perry Metz and
Graham Smith and Meg Anderson  NPR Investigations Desk as well as Eva Tesfaye, Lauren Gonzales, Adelina Lancianese and Argin Hutchins
please forward to all others, involved
 
Subject:  Media Disaster: "Rush to Kill": Episode 4: Poison
 
RE: "The Rush to Kill" podcast series by NPR station WFIU
 
From:  Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
 
WFIU's Media Disaster: "The Rush to Kill" podcast; Episode 4: Poison
 
Method: The "WFIU/NPR Team audio:" is from their podcast, Sharp is my reply or comment.
 
IS THIS THE PERSONIFICATION OF INTENTIONAL NO FACT CHECKING, NO VETTING, NO CRITICAL THINKING AND/OR LYING TO YOUR AUDIENCE? ARE THERE OTHER CHOICES?
 
1) Very much a repeat of the disastrous anti-death penalty Introduction and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 (1).
 
2) For example, WFIU/NPR Team audio: "There is no reason to, even, believe the executed people were even tired".
 
Sharp: The WFIU/NPR Team never, even, looked up the symptoms of pentobarbitol  overdose, which are:
 
Drowsiness, tiredness, fainting, coma, stupor, slowed or absent breathing, 
among others (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002508.htm)
 
or, did  WFIU/NPR Team lie? Or?
 
3) Sharp: Did you notice that choking and coughing are not on the symptoms list? WFIU/NPR Team? Dr. Zivot?

The truthful media description for Dr. Zivot would be that he is an anti-death penalty activist, who happens to be an anesthesiologist.
 
4) WFIU/NPR Team writes: "But records obtained by NPR and WFIU suggest the federal government's preferred execution chemical caused massive damage to prisoners' lungs and might have caused excruciating pain in their final moments."
 
Sharp: Might? Aliens might have landed in my garden. Same amount of proof, for both. That is why pulmonary edema is not even mentioned as symptoms in pentobarbitol overdoses.
 
Two questions: How long does it take pulmonary edema to cause discomfort? How long does it take to become unconscious with a massive, lethal overdose of pentobarbitol?
 
Journalism 101 suggestion: Don't consult with a pro or anti-death penalty specialist MD, but two or three neutral specialists. Just a journalism thought.
 
Third question:
 
How was it possible for journalists not to ask those two questions?
 
They are either all idiots or they, intentionally, decided not to ask. Is there a third reason?

======
The Death Penalty: A Repudiation of Journalism, by Journalists?
======
 
5) Sharp: You interviewed Zivot, Chammah, both well known anti-death penalty. Not even a neutral doc or pro-death penalty expert, throughout? Of course not.
 
6) WFIU/NPR Team audio: "It is crucial to have an impartial (journalism) participant" (26 min, 20 seconds, in podcast),
 
Sharp: Laughable/sad in the context of "The Rush to Kill's" journalism.
 
7) WFIU/NPR Team audio:"That might serve to mislead our audience about lethal injection."
 
Exactly what WFIU does, as is undeniable.
 
8) WFIU/NPR Team audio:  "Even though (lethal injections) botched rate is higher than any other execution procedure, in the US."
 
Sharp: How much you wanna bet, WFIU/NPR "forgot" to fact check/vet that?
 
Rebuttal: Botched Executions
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2017/01/rebuttal-botched-executions.html
 
Any bets?
 
9) Sharp point from WFIU/NPR Team audio: The fact that the WFIU/NPR Team had to, even, ask if journalists should witness executions tells us everything we need to know about how non-serious the WFIU/NPR is about journalism.
 
10) Sharp: The Hippocratic Oath bans both abortion and euthanasia, but not executions. "Do no harm" is not in the HO, but is in another, venerable medical saying which, only, regards medical patients. 
 
11) Sharp: Apparently, long speech by an anti-death penalty psychiatrist/psychologist. Who? Sarat, maybe, just playing a role?  Nonsense.
 
Ugh.
 
12) WFIU/NPR Team audio: "If people like (Dr.) Joel Zivot are right, "(the murderer) might have been conscious the whole time".
 
Sharp: Medically, pharmacologically, impossible, with every bit of known (by me) data on a massive, lethal overdose of pentobarbitol.
 
It seems impossible that The WFIU/NPR Team is unaware or The Team welcomes, incredible, willful ignorance and/or they are just anti-death penalty activists, masquerading as journalists. Are there any other options?

The truthful media description for Dr. Zivot would be that he is an anti-death penalty activist, who happens to be an anesthesiologist.
 
13) Sharp: Possibly, in preparation for Episode 5, the WFIU/NPR Team mentions the alleged racism of the death penalty. Did they research all sides, with fact checking and vetting, all with critical thinking? Well, did you?
 
Sharp: RACE & THE DEATH PENALTY: A REBUTTAL TO THE RACISM CLAIMS
 
14) Sharp: It appears not that the WFIU/NPR Team of journalists does not fact check, nor vet nor use critical thinking, nor seek out perspectives other than anti-death penalty. It appears that they refuse to.
 
NEXT:  Episode 4: Poison -   WFIU/NPR asks for questions to be submitted on their podcast site form and I asked these:
 
PLEASE REPLY TO EACH QUESTION, above and below.
 
First question group
 
Isn't "could NOT have caused excruciating pain in (the murderers') final moments", the rational conclusion, if one pays attention to the pharmacological realities of the drug given, in the massive overdosing amounts?
 
Added later: Did WFIU/NPR, even, look up the pharmacology?
 
Second question group
 
Did it never occur to WFIU/NPR that it was impossible to feel any pain from pulmonary edema prior to unconsciousness?
 
Why did that not ever come up?
 
Why did you, only, interview an anti-death penalty Zivot MD?
 
We know that what he said cannot be true. Do you, even, know how?
 
Added later: Did you, even, fact check or vet what Zivot said? It appears not or you lied to the audience or what other reason?
 
Third question group
 
Did you not, even, look up symptoms of pentobarbitol overdose?

It appears not.

Do you find choking or coughing, anywhere?

Or Drowsiness, tiredness, fainting, coma, stupor, slowed or absent breathing, among others?

And you had, what 12-20 WFIU/NPR folks working on this and for how long? 2 years?
 
FN 1
Media Disaster: Journalism No More: "The (NPR) Rush to Kill "Team
Introduction & Episodes 1 & 2
and

Media Disaster: NPR's "The Rush to Kill": Episode 3: American Woman

 
======
 
600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
http://prodpquotes.info/
======
======
 
Research, w/sources, w/fact checking/vetting & critical thinking, as required of everyone.
 
The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts are included)
======
 
Partial CV
=====
 
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