The Payne Awards for Ethics in Journalism
Marie Claire
“The Big Business of Breast Cancer”
By Lea Goldman
“The Big Business of Breast Cancer” is an exhaustively reported exposé that uncovers the truth
about the sacred cow of breast cancer fundraising: It’s become a massive racket. MC Features
Director (and veteran business journalist) Lea Goldman spent months analyzing the tax returns
of scores of breast cancer nonprofits and investigated dozens of companies marketing pink
products and found that, despite claims, many weren’t donating a cent to breast cancer research
or awareness.
The story immediately inspired a firestorm of reaction (on Twitter, in the blogosphere, in
hundreds of letters and e-mails), largely from consumers weary and suspicious of the tidal wave
of pink marketing that inundates stores every October. Among the many news outlets that
covered our story: NBC News, Fox News, the New York Daily News, Houston Chronicle, Dallas
Morning News, Jezebel, and the Daily Beast. The Non-Profit Quarterly called it a “stunning
article,” and the Better Business Bureau cited it in a consumer warning on its website. On the
heels of our story, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched an investigation of
companies that promise that proceeds of pink products will go to breast cancer causes; the story
also prompted several national charities, including Pink Ribbon International and the Breast
Cancer Society, to clarify where their donations actually go. Our story has resulted in greater
transparency and accountability among breast cancer groups, and has educated readers about
how to make smart, effective donations.
Awards coordinator contact info:
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