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“The Retrievals”

Excellence in Audio Storytelling, honoring Jack R. Howard

Serial Productions | The New York Times, 2024

Author(s): Staff I Serial Productions, Staff I The New York Times

Susan Burton, with assistance from Julie Snyder and Laura Starecheski, investigated the harrowing experiences of women who underwent egg retrievals at the Yale Fertility Center where a nurse had stolen the fentanyl they should have received for pain and replaced it with saline.

This five-episode series takes listeners into what happened at the fertility center where women were excited at the idea of their pregnancy journey before their egg retrieval left them in excruciating pain.

Burton completed dozens of interviews, read scientific studies, reviewed stacks of legal documents and filed public records and family court requests to support her reporting. She continued to report while making new episodes on deadline. Her meticulous reporting highlighted the emotional and factual complexities of the issue. 

The podcast resonated with listeners. It also sparked widespread discourse as it topped podcast charts. It prompted a first-year ethics class at Yale Medical School to include the podcast in its curriculum, inspired bioethical discussions and led to a lawsuit against the school in response to the reporting. 

 

Article by: Abbi Ross

Honoring Jack R. Howard
Black and white photo of a man in a striped suit smiling by his desk covered with newspapers

Jack R. Howard is credited with expanding The E.W. Scripps Company’s presence in the field of broadcasting. In 1937, he was elected president of the Scripps radio company. Jack succeeded his father, Roy W. Howard, as president of Scripps-Howard in 1953. He retired in 1976.