Made in China
Yesterday I nominated the New York Times as the best-reported newspaper in the country. A close second is The Washington Post. The Post, of course, is best known for its political reporting, but lately it has offered compelling stories on economic forces that threaten Americans' health. In Sunday's Post, Rick Weiss' "Tainted Chinese Imports Common" reveals that 107 food imports and more than 1,000 cosmetics, counterfeit medicines and dietary supplements from China were stopped at U.S. ports last month because they were tainted. Sifting through Food and Drug Administration inspection records, Weiss shows that less than 1 percent of imports are ever checked, and those are often sent back to China only to be shipped to America another time. Weiss begins his story with one of the most compelling leads I've seen in a long time:
Dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical.
Frozen catfish laden with banned antibiotics.
Scallops and sardines coated with putrefying bacteria.
Mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides.
In addition to his strong examples, Weiss does a terrific job explaining how the flood of dangerous Chinese imports is tied to the desire of American companies and farmers to sell their products to China. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901273.html?hpid=topnews
In another great story on the economic forces behind poor health, the Post's Mary Otto describes how 12-year-old Deamonte Driver died because of a toothache. Her "For Want of a Dentist" also features an amazing lead. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022702116.html
Finally, Lynne Duke's "A Well of Pain" shares one woman's crusade against the government leaders who allowed a carcinogen to contaminate her family's well water, leading, she is convinced, to the cancer deaths of as many as nine relatives. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/19/AR2007031901559.html?referrer=email
The Wall Street Journal is another strong candidate for best-written and reported newspaper, but I don't link to the Journal because of its policy of charging for Web content. I don't disagree with the policy, I just don't like to recommend a story and then have my readers find they need to buy a subscription.