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DOJ Probes Medical Journals Over Alleged Partisanship, Raising Academic Freedom Concerns

The American College of Chest Physicians confirms legal review of a DOJ inquiry questioning CHEST Journal's editorial practices, with responses due by May 2.

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© The Washington Post via Getty Images
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Overview

  • The U.S. Department of Justice has sent letters to at least three medical journals, including CHEST, accusing them of partisanship and requesting information on their editorial practices.
  • The DOJ's inquiry, led by Edward R. Martin Jr., interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, asks how journals address misinformation, accept diverse viewpoints, and manage allegations of misleading authorship.
  • The American College of Chest Physicians, publisher of CHEST, has confirmed receipt of the letter and is consulting legal counsel ahead of the May 2 response deadline.
  • MedPage Today reported similar letters were sent to at least two other journals, though their identities have not been disclosed, and the New England Journal of Medicine stated it has not received any such letter.
  • The move has sparked concerns about government overreach into academic freedom and First Amendment rights, as well as the politicization of scientific discourse under the Trump administration.