RFK Jr. attacked medical journals, calling them “corrupt” and claiming they are beholden to pharmaceutical interests. Their response shows where they agree. The journals include The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet. He is even threatening to prohibit NIH scientists from publishing in these outlets and proposes a radical alternative: new in-house, government-run journals.
But where do both sides actually agree? In the video, we break down: – RFK Jr.’s comments (and his misquote) – Actual quote from former NEJM editor Marcia Angell – Proposed 40% cut to NIH budget and restructuring – Editors’ response regarding funding influences – Experts’ warning that cutting public research funding may worsen issues (See Video)
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References
Angell, M. (2009, January 15). [Review of Drug Companies & Doctors: A Story of Corruption, by A. Bass, M. Petersen, & C. Lane]. The New York Review of Books, 56(1). https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2009/01/15/drug-companies-doctorsa-story-of-corruption/ ff524. (2017, April 27). Answer to “Is there no evidence that pre-publication peer review improves papers or detects errors or fraud?” [Online post]. Skeptics Stack Exchange. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/a/38120 Financial Conflicts of Interest in Biomedical Research | New England Journal of Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved July 1, 2025, from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199308193290810 matt_black. (2017, May 1). Is there no evidence that pre-publication peer review improves papers or detects errors or fraud? [Forum post]. Skeptics Stack Exchange. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/38107 Oza, A. (2025, May 28). ‘Corrupt’ medical journals have to change, RFK Jr. Says, or the NIH will publish in-house. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/27/rfk-jr-says-medical-journals-corrupt-so-nih-may-publish-in-house/ Oza, M. M., Jonathan Wosen, Anil. (2025, April 17). Trump budget draft proposes NIH consolidation and 40% spending cut. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/16/trump-draft-budget-proposes-nih-consolidation-40-percent-cut/ PoloHoleSet. (2017, April 26). Answer to “Is there no evidence that pre-publication peer review improves papers or detects errors or fraud?” [Online post]. Skeptics Stack Exchange. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/a/38109 RFK Jr. Threatens to bar government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals. (2025, May 27). POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/27/rfk-jr-nih-scientists-medical-journals-jama-lancet-nejm-00371349 Slay peer review ‘sacred cow’, says former BMJ chief. (2015, April 21). Times Higher Education (THE). https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/slay-peer-review-sacred-cow-says-former-bmj-chief/2019812.article Steinbrook, M. A., Jerome P. Kassirer, Robert. (2025, June 30). RFK Jr. Says medical journals are ‘corrupt.’ As former NEJM editors, we know he’s wrong. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2025/06/30/rfk-jr-medical-journals-nejm-jama-lancet-editors-respond-medical-journals-ethics/
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