Several medical journals in the United States have received letters from the Department of Justice questioning their editorial practices and standards. The Lancet, a British medical journal, criticized the inquiries as “harassment” and accused the Trump administration of dismantling U.S. science. The CHEST Journal and the New England Journal of Medicine also received similar letters, sparking concerns about academic freedom and speech. The American College of Chest Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both affirmed the editorial independence of their respective journals. The Department of Justice’s actions come amidst funding and personnel cuts to federal science and research agencies by the Trump administration. Major scientific and medical journals, including Science, Elsevier, Nature, and JAMA, did not respond to requests for comment about whether they had received similar letters. Wiley publishing company stated its commitment to editorial independence and scholarly rigor. Medical journals play a crucial role in sharing new findings and insights through peer-reviewed research. The scrutiny of scientific journals by the Department of Justice raises concerns about the protection of scholarly scientific dialogue and the freedom of expression for journals in the U.S.
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