Dani Blum

Dani Blum is a health reporter at The New York Times, focusing on news and trends related to personal health. She covers breaking news related to personal health and reports in-depth on wellness trends, from emerging mental health treatments to hacks and supplements that animate the internet. She also covers Ozempic and other drugs in a new class of medications that treat diabetes and obesity, and she reports on Covid-19. Blum joined The Times in 2019. She has reported on Covid-19 since the early days of the pandemic, and she has covered Ozempic since 2022. Blum approaches every story with impartiality and strives to hear all sides of the issues she covers. She is committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in The New York Times' Ethical Journalism Handbook.

Biography:  https://www.nytimes.com/by/dani-blum

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

88%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally presents information from a single perspective or fails to include all sides of an issue.
  • The author sometimes uses loaded language that can influence the reader's opinion.

Conflicts of Interest

75%

Examples:

  • In one article, the author discusses Eli Lilly's new weight loss drug, Zepbound, and its telehealth platform LillyDirect. The author mentions that Eli Lilly wants to make it easier for patients to get its buzzy new weight loss drug delivered to their door through the platform LillyDirect but does not compensate doctors who prescribe its medications through Form and these doctors have no knowledge that a patient came through the LillyDirect portal. This raises questions about potential conflicts of interest.

Contradictions

86%

Examples:

  • In one article, the author states that millions of Americans were current e-cigarette users in 2018 according to federal health data, which contradicts the statement in another article that new variants of the coronavirus, including KP.2, are increasing in number and causing a potential rise in cases this summer.
  • The author reports on conflicting information regarding Wegovy's approval for reducing heart attack risk and its side effects.

Deceptions

80%

Examples:

  • In one article, the author states that Wegovy is highly effective but costly which leads some employers and health plans to stop covering it or limit access. This statement can be seen as deceptive because it implies that the decision to stop covering Wegovy is solely based on its cost, when in reality, it may also be due to concerns about its safety and efficacy.
  • The author's title for an article about Florida's measles outbreak and the Surgeon General's stance on it suggests that the Surgeon General went against medical guidance, which is not entirely accurate.

Recent Articles

New Study: Children's Secondhand Exposure to Nicotine from E-Cigarettes vs Tobacco Smoke - Comparative Findings

New Study: Children's Secondhand Exposure to Nicotine from E-Cigarettes vs Tobacco Smoke - Comparative Findings

Broke On: Friday, 12 July 2024 A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open reveals that children living with e-cigarette users absorb 84% less nicotine through secondhand aerosols than those exposed to tobacco smoke. However, vaping still poses risks for children, particularly regarding lung development.
Summer 2024: Record COVID-19 Surge in ER Patients and New Variants in Florida and Western States

Summer 2024: Record COVID-19 Surge in ER Patients and New Variants in Florida and Western States

Broke On: Monday, 03 June 2024 CDC reports a summer surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the US. Florida sees one of the highest increases in emergency room patients with COVID-19. Two new variants, KP.3 and LB.1, contribute to this trend.
New Drug Tirzepatide Shows Promise in Improving Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms: Study Findings and FDA Request

New Drug Tirzepatide Shows Promise in Improving Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms: Study Findings and FDA Request

Broke On: Friday, 21 June 2024 New studies suggest that tirzepatide, a compound in Zepbound, alleviates symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea for individuals with obesity. These findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an ADA conference. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer and funder of these trials, has requested FDA approval to expand Zepbound's use for this condition, potentially making it the first drug specifically designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
New COVID-19 Subvariants KP.2 and KP.3: Concerns of Potential Rise in Cases as Summer Approaches

New COVID-19 Subvariants KP.2 and KP.3: Concerns of Potential Rise in Cases as Summer Approaches

Broke On: Monday, 03 June 2024 As COVID-19 cases potentially rise with new subvariants KP.2 and KP.3 of the Omicron variant, health experts urge increased vigilance, especially as wastewater surveillance programs show increasing SARS-CoV-2 levels. The upcoming fall vaccine is expected to provide protection against these novel variants and their subvariants.
New Study: Semaglutide in Ozempic Reduces Risk of Serious Kidney Outcomes, Major Cardiovascular Events, and Death for Diabetes Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

New Study: Semaglutide in Ozempic Reduces Risk of Serious Kidney Outcomes, Major Cardiovascular Events, and Death for Diabetes Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Broke On: Friday, 24 May 2024 New findings from the FLOW trial show semaglutide, a compound in Ozempic, reduces risk of serious kidney outcomes, major cardiovascular events and death for diabetes patients with chronic kidney disease.
Wegovy Approved to Reduce Heart Complications in Overweight People with Cardiovascular Disease by 20%

Wegovy Approved to Reduce Heart Complications in Overweight People with Cardiovascular Disease by 20%

Broke On: Monday, 18 March 2024 Wegovy, a weight loss drug approved by the FDA for reducing cardiovascular risks in overweight people with heart disease, is now being used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular-related deaths. The new label expansion for Wegovy indicates that it can be used to reduce these risks by 20% in this population. This approval opens up a new market for weight loss drugs and could greatly expand older adults' access to treatments that so far have been limited.
Florida Surgeon General Defies Medical Guidance During Measles Outbreak

Florida Surgeon General Defies Medical Guidance During Measles Outbreak

Broke On: Sunday, 25 February 2024 Florida's surgeon general has allowed unvaccinated children to attend school amid a measles outbreak, despite medical guidance and CDC warnings. The state currently has the largest US measles outbreak with 35 cases across fifteen states.
Eli Lilly Takes a Stand Against Using Mounjaro and Zepbound for Cosmetic Weight Loss, Launches Telehealth Platform to Connect Patients with Prescribers

Eli Lilly Takes a Stand Against Using Mounjaro and Zepbound for Cosmetic Weight Loss, Launches Telehealth Platform to Connect Patients with Prescribers

Broke On: Saturday, 06 January 2024 Eli Lilly has taken a stand against using Mounjaro and Zepbound for cosmetic weight loss, stating that these medications are intended to treat serious diseases. The company also launched a new platform called LillyDirect to connect patients with prescribers via telehealth appointments and order direct home delivery of select Lilly medicines through third-party pharmacy dispensing services. However, the launch of this platform has raised concerns among doctors who worry about virtual medicine's potential to replace in-person examinations for treating obesity.