Story Analysis: Drug Samples

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/health/research/06sample.html?ref=us

This article from “The New York Times” talks about a study that showed the harmful effects of free drug samples on children because they typically are the newest drugs that are not fully tested. The study also reports that samples are not as helpful to people with lower income as one may think; the poor generally receive more drug samples than people who are better insured. Doctors and researchers also point out the positive aspects of samples, such as their easy availability at doctors’ offices and the ability to test medications before buying them.

This article is considered “hard-news” because it was published two days ago on October 6th. Therefore, it has immediacy and clearly points out what happened and why. This article has an inverted pyramid structure, starting off with a “summary lead.” This lead gives readers the basic who and what (a survey on drug samples that affects children and does little to help the poor). The second and third paragraphs provide backup to the lead, elaborating on the study and showing its findings. The nut graph is in the fourth paragraph, explaining the main point of the story and why it is newsworthy. In the nut graph, the author discusses how free drug samples negatively affect people by using evidence from the C.D.C.

The remainder of the article features the harmful effects of free samples based on the study, with quotes from doctors and researchers. The article then moves on to quotes that depict the benefits of samples, which makes the article more intriguing for the reader because both points of view are shown. The article finishes off with a quote from a pediatrician, ending the article with one last negative take on free samples: “I’m tired of my patients getting burned by a $40 co-pay." Her quote supports the overall issue that the article raises.