Thousands of Americans have removed themselves from organ donor registries following “irresponsible reporting” led by the New York Times, officials said.
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, a trade group that represents 46 of the nation’s 55 federally designated nonprofit entities that help facilitate donations, accused the newspaper of a “lack of balance and accuracy” in its recent coverage of the problems in the sprawling transplant system.
The letter, sent to three Times editors on Tuesday, cited two articles from July 20, including “A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk,” in which reporters Brian M. Rosenthal and Julie Tate detailed rushed or premature attempts to retrieve organs from patients who were, in some cases, still showing signs of life.
A third recent Times item, an op-ed written by three cardiologists in which they argue for a “new definition of death” to help alleviate the backlog of recipients in need of transplants, was not included in the letter. The essay has gone viral on X, with many users commenting it has made them rethink or actively change their status as organ donors.
“The patient safety incidents cited in the Rosenthal and Tate article are very concerning,” AOPO’s letter reads. “The integrity of the organ donation and transplantation system depends on strict adherence to clinical policies and safeguards designed to protect patients. Any situation that calls this into question deserves thorough review, accountability, and continuous efforts to strengthen the system.”
The letter obtained by Newsweek also referenced a Times article by Trinity Webster-Bass on what being an organ donor means for more than 173 million Americans in state and national registries, including many whom are “unsure” about the specifics.
“These stories have directly led to the biggest increase in people removing themselves from donor registries ever recorded, putting patients waiting for transplants at greater risk,” AOPO’s letter continued, adding that the group actively engaged with the newspaper prior to publication.
“Much of that context is not reflected in the published stories or podcasts, despite our efforts to support informed, balanced coverage,” the letter reads.
AOPO claims both articles contained “serious factual inaccuracies,” including the trade group attributing “any errors to hospitals” in the story written by Rosenthal and Tate. That phrase wasn’t a part of AOPO’s response to the newspaper, which subsequently updated the article, according to Tuesday’s letter.
“The main article from July 20 also omitted or misrepresented key facts in some donation cases,” the letter continued. “The absence of critical context in the story has fueled massive mistrust in the donation process.”
The government is, in fact, policing and providing oversight to the nation’s transplant system, contrary to the Times reporting, according to AOPO officials. Yet the newspaper’s coverage has led to “immediate and catastrophic” consequences, the group claims.
“Thousands of Americans have removed themselves from U.S. organ donor registries as a direct result of the articles,” according to the letter.
Donate Life America, a nonprofit that manages a national registry, has recorded a 700 percent increase in donor registration removals since the July 20 articles, with an average of 412 per day. That’s compared to an average of 52 daily a week earlier, AOPO said.
That massive spike doesn’t include removals from state registries or people who declined to be organ donors at hospitals, but the “chilling effect” of the Times‘ coverage prompted more than 2,400 people to remove themselves from California’s registry, as well as 950 in Florida and more than 600 in Colorado.
“This is the largest spike in registry removals ever recorded in the history of organ donation in the U.S.,” AOPO letter reads. “The New York Times‘ coverage — coupled with a wave of secondary stories by other outlets and widespread, sensationalistic commentary and online reactions — has initiated a wave of panic and fear across the United States.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the New York Times defended its coverage.
“Our reporting reflects the accounts of dozens of people involved in the organ transplant system and includes a thorough review of internal records, audio recordings and text messages that have been rigorously fact-checked,” spokesperson Naseem Amini told Newsweek. “Many of our findings have been confirmed by H.H.S., as well as transplant system officials and congressional investigations. We also ensured the perspective of AOPO and the procurement organizations were included within our reporting.”
The newspaper’s in-depth coverage had necessary nuance and balance, Amini added.
“Our deep body of work on this issue repeatedly points out that organ transplants save lives, but to ignore the problems found in the system, which have been reported fairly and accurately, would go directly against our mission to deliver independent journalism,” Amini’s statement concluded.
AOPO officials sent a second letter to the Times on Wednesday with additional concerns regarding reporting of a case in New Mexico in which a woman was subjected to days of preparation for donation, despite pleas from her family that she appeared to be regaining consciousness — and later did.
“[Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] investigated the case and concluded New Mexico Donor Services was ‘in compliance with all conditions of participation’ in its handling of the case,” AOPO’s updated letter read. “This finding, however, was not reported by The New York Times despite the newspaper having received the information.”
AOPO officials characterized organ procurement organizations as “mission-driven, nonprofit entities” determined to honor the decisions of donors and families while saving as many lives as possible through transplantation.
“Organ donation is a sacred gift, and we take very seriously any claims that erode public trust in the system. AOPO is working with the federal government to swiftly address issues raised by [Health Resources and Services Administration] and Congress about the organ donation process, especially regarding clarity around donation after circulatory death,” AOPO told Newsweek in a statement. “At the same time, we are very concerned that irresponsible reporting by top news media is contributing to damaging the public’s trust in organ donation by stoking unnecessary fear.”
Federal officials, meanwhile, defended the nation’s system of hospitals, doctors and OPOs that coordinated a record 48,149 organ transplants last year.
“The system works as measured in a variety of ways,” Dr. Raymond Lynch, chief of HRSA’s Organ Transplant Branch, told Newsweek. “It works for the people who received organs; it works for the people whose family members were donors and got the solace of knowing that the gift of life was given. But the regulator’s job — HRSA’s job and HHS’ job — is to make sure that it’s reliable, safe and respectful care.”
The pervasive, urgent need for organs does not supersede basic safety requirements and protocols in place throughout the transplantation network, Lynch said.
“That’s not acceptable,” he said. “And that’s not how it’s practiced in many locations.”
The post Mass Exodus From Organ Donor Registries Following Media Coverage appeared first on Newsweek.
