Washington Post Commits Resources to Investigating Opioid Crisis, But Quits When Presented with Falsehoods & Errors in its Sourcing

After The Washington Post last spring accurately concluded that Purdue was a “too-easy scapegoat” the Raymond Sackler family engaged in substantial dialogue with the newspaper about addressing additional false impressions about the opioid crisis and its origins, which pre-date OxyContin. That correspondence, published here in its entirety, clearly demonstrates that The Post was relying on deeply flawed information for some of its incorrect conclusions. Unfortunately, however, after The Post’s false impressions were debunked, the newspaper failed to publish news articles exposing the errors in the studies on which it and many others had relied.

Initial Correction Request & Responses

May 2020 Initial Correction Request & Responses
May 2020 Initial Correction Request & Responses
May 21, 2020 Letter to Washington Post Identifying Errors in its Inquiry
May 21, 2020 Letter to Washington Post Identifying Errors in its Inquiry

Additional Correspondence with The Washington Post

June 15, 2020 Washington Post Letter Defending its Inquiry
June 15, 2020 Washington Post Letter Defending its Inquiry
July 10, 2020 Email to Washington Post
July 10, 2020 Email to Washington Post
July 10, 2020 Letter to Washington Post Identifying Additional Errors
July 10, 2020 Letter to Washington Post Identifying Additional Errors