Top JAMA Editor on Leave in Fallout Over Racism Podcast

The move follows widespread criticism of the episode and its promotion, and the resignation of the podcast’s host.

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Howard Bauchner, the editor in chief of JAMA, was placed on administrative leave yesterday (March 25) amid continued criticism of the way the top medical journal has discussed racism in medicine.

Earlier this month, Twitter erupted with criticism of a podcast episode and attendant tweet published by JAMA. The tweet, since deleted, read in part, “No physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in health care? An explanation of the idea by doctors for doctors . . .” In the February 23 podcast episode, also since taken down, host Ed Livingston, then JAMA’s deputy editor for clinical reviews and education, said, “Structural racism is an unfortunate term,” according to MedPage Today. “Personally, I think taking racism out of the conversation will help. Many of us are offended by the concept that we are racist.”

Among JAMA’s critics was Aletha Maybank, the chief equity officer ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate and science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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