Provide names of other journalists involved.
Melinda Wenner Moyer, Marina Khidekel, Wendy Naugle, Cindi Leive
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
May-11
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
How and why might everyday products affect your health? Everyone wonders it, and we see headlines about it constantly. This article breaks down the science behind endocrine-disrupting chemicals that lurk in products and foods we come in contact with every day, and explains how these chemicals might affect fertility, health and weight. It also provides simple tips from experts on how to avoid these chemicals.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
No FOI requests were submitted. Internet resources included the following: President’s Cancer Panel 2010 report The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act The Endocrine Society’s Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Many, many peer-reviewed studies downloaded via the NIH’s PubMed database FDA.gov NIH.gov USDA.gov
Explain types of human sources used.
The writer talked to endocrinologists, toxicologists, biologists, reproductive physiologists, OB/GYNs, oncologists, environmental health scientists, preventive medicine specialists, pediatricians, epidemiologists, civil and environmental engineers, and public health experts. Some were affiliated with universities, others with the U.S. government; a few worked for nonprofit organizations and think tanks. She also interviewed women who thought their health had been affected by endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Results:
Glamour received a slew of positive responses like these from readers: “You have completely blown my mind by having the courage to print this article. There’s absolutely no reason why the pursuit of beauty and environmental safety can’t co-exist. That’s trail-blazing, high-end editorial integrity that you exhibited.” –Connie Stefanson “Thank you for covering the dangers of reproductive toxins like BPA and phthalates. This is the most important health issue that women aren’t talking about. The better educated we are about these toxins, the more we can vote with our dollars to demand safe and healthy cosmetics. ” –Devon Downs “The article was both informative and interesting, and I love that you gave simple, doable ways to reduce the amount of chemicals we take in.” –Brittany Dionisio “I would like to say THANK YOU so much for printing such a wonderful article. There are SO many things out there in our everyday products that are just so horribly bad for us, and there are no regulations on any of them. Kudos for the guts!” –C.B.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
None.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
This is a controversial, divisive issue. Journalists who want to write about endocrine disruptors need to be ready to dive deep into the science and talk to experts from many scientific and medical specialities, who will often say conflicting things. For instance, a toxicologist might look at the available animal data, extrapolate from it, and conclude that everyday low exposures to these chemicals probably won’t cause health problems. But an endocrinologist might disagree, arguing that hormone-like chemicals sometimes have potent effects on the body even at very low doses. The science on these chemicals is murky and complex, and probably always will be because we can’t perform randomized controlled trials. But just because the science isn’t clear doesn’t mean it is not worth writing about. It just means that the writer has to be meticulous and careful.