| From the Editor |
By Kit Frieden
Health and Science Editorr
Photos from Haney's retirement partyDaniel Q. Haney, the AP’s award-winning Medical Editor and Special Correspondent, has retired after 34 years, ending a legendary career that made his byline one of the most recognizable in journalism.
In a tribute to him at AP headquarters at 50 Rock, he was lauded for his groundbreaking medical coverage, colorful writing style and generous guidance to hundreds of colleagues trying to navigate the difficult world of science and medical reporting.
Co-workers noted Haney's ability to turn medical jargon into memorable prose, often humorous, that would engage any reader. To Haney, arterial plaque was "nasty globs of gunk that clog the heart's plumbing." High-density lipoprotein was "the friendly half of cholesterol's yin and yang, often outgunned by its evil counterpart, LDL."
Haney recalled how it all began:
"My first AP job was in Portland, Maine, in 1969 as vacation relief. I was 20 years old and a junior in college. As we say in Maine, I didn't know nothin' about nothin.' But I did know this felt right. I remember walking into that little office and hearing the clatter of the teletypes and getting an adrenaline rush and thinking, ‘This could be addictive.’ And so it has been, a very pleasant and rewarding 34-year addiction."
Haney became a regular staffer in that bureau in 1970 after earning a journalism degree from Boston University. Later that year, he transferred to the Boston bureau. He hadn't planned on being a medical writer, but one day he was assigned to cover the New England Journal of Medicine for another reporter who was out. He found a story and immediately hit the national wire. A career was born.
After years of quietly lobbying for the job, he was named Science Writer in 1983. Thirteen years later, he was named Medical Editor, and in 2001, Special Correspondent.
He was also honored outside the AP. In 2000, Haney won the first Howard L. Lewis Achievement Award to be presented by the American Heart Association. In 2002, he was awarded the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting from the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.
"His news and feature stories appear in newspapers around the world, and, by virtue of their breadth and depth, they play an important and often unrecognized role in shaping medical coverage by others," the council said.
Newsfeatures Editor Bruce DeSilva echoes that compliment:
"It isn’t just how he writes, it is what he writes. Haney breaks news. He provides context and analysis that helps readers -- and editors and fellow journalists -- understand the rush of developments in fast-moving stories. It is this remarkable work that keeps The Associated Press ahead of the competition in reporting major trends in treatment and research."
In his new life, Haney plans to learn sailing and woodworking, dividing his time between his home state of Maine and Florida. The decision to leave a life of journalism behind was a tough one.
"I've spent almost two-thirds of my life working for the AP. I've never held any other job. The decision to retire is one of the most difficult I've ever made," Haney told colleagues at the party celebrating his career.
"Dan leaves a remarkable legacy. And not just in the archive," said his longtime friend, Science Writer Malcolm Ritter. "We'll always remember his calm expertise -- and that Maine-bred independence and self-confidence -- in sorting out the tumble of confusing news. And we'll recall his generosity with his time and advice.” (June 23, 2004)