Selected Media Commentary
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Boston Globe
September 5, 2023
Interviewed for “Patients still discriminate against health care workers of color. Why don’t more hospitals ban it?” by Andy Levinsky.
“Hospitals should have a zero-tolerance policy for accommodating race-based patient requests, with the exception of patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or some other kind of trauma.”
Philanthropisms
June 8, 2023
Interviewed for the Philanthropisms podcast by Rhodri Davies.
NerdWallet
September 13, 2022
Interviewed for “Socially Conscious Financial Decisions in Tight Times” by Hal M. Bundrick, CFP.
“People decide together what they want to do and how they want to help. And then they're helping each other. And the people they're helping may help other people at some point.”
News @ Northeastern
August 27, 2021
Interviewed for “Will Delta Air Lines’ $200 surcharge for unvaccinated employees pay off?” by Molly Callahan.
“Imposing a surcharge on employees who don’t get vaccinated may help Delta cover its increased health insurance costs, but if unvaccinated employees are willing to pay it, they’re still exposing other employees and airline customers to greater risk of infection.”
News @ Northeastern
August 25, 2021
Interviewed for “With COVID-19 infections surging, can doctors refuse treatment to unvaccinated patients?” by Tanner Stening.
“Trust is critical for successful doctor-patient relationships. Patients won’t go to the doctor if they don’t trust the doctor, and if they do go, they may not tell the truth—both of which can cause great harm.”
Financial Times
August 20, 2021
Interviewed for “Crunch time at PepsiCo for a friend of the workers” by Sujeet Indap.
“As head of the Ford Foundation, Darren Walker has been a moral leader who has improved the lives and wellbeing of countless people… [As a PepsiCo director], Walker confers moral legitimacy on the very injustices that he has worked so hard to mitigate at the Ford Foundation. He knows better.”
Chronicle of Philanthropy
February 9, 2021
Interviewed for “Donors in Trouble Pose a Quandary for Nonprofits” by Ben Gose.
“When organizations accept that money, they basically are complicit not just in the past harm, but also in future harms.”
Journal Inquirer
February 5, 2021
Interviewed for “Enfield is sending back Proud Boys’ food donation” by Eric Bedner.
“These kinds of groups are not consistent with the public good…I would be worried that this is going to move them in the direction to feel entitled to do more bad acts.”
NEW York Times
December 9, 2020
Interviewed for “Carnegie Hall Stands By Its Chairman, Despite Tax Violations” by Robin Pogrebin
“Although he has practiced some thoughtful philanthropy, especially the Morehouse gift, he has also been complicit in a 15-year scheme to avoid paying his fair share of taxes, placing an unjust burden on those who are not in a position to bear it.”
Politico
October 14, 2020
Interviewed for “French politician Jack Lang says Epstein donation was to fund a movie” by Paul de Villepin
“Epstein violated the rights of young girls” and there was “every reason to believe he [would] perform bad acts in the future.”
Wisconsin Public Radio
January 2, 2020
Interviewed on moral licensing by Rob Ferrett.
“Most of us are vulnerable to [moral licensing]… all of us have a duty to do as much as we can for other people… and we should be effective at it.”
News @ Northeastern
September 26, 2018
Interviewed for “If ‘Truth Isn’t Truth,’ Then What Is It?” by Molly Callahan.
“Truth conforms to objective reality,” Illingworth said. “I would distinguish truth from what is agreed upon. For example, there was a time when everyone believed and agreed that the world was flat. Nonetheless, it was not a truth because it did not correspond to reality.”
The Outline
April 18, 2018
Interviewed for "Neopets Was Run by Scientologists" by Sarah Bellman.
"Neopets's business model [was] morally problematic....The idea that an organization should fire employees for having views that are different from those of the organization is morally disconcerting even when we don’t share the views, or we are adamantly against them."
Outside
February 21, 2018
Interviewed for "Should Our Morals Determine Our Gear Purchases?" by Ariella Gintzler.
"People who buy products associated with Vista Outdoor are not directly responsible, but they are morally complicit...."
News @ Northeastern
December 8, 2017
Interviewed for "How the CVS-Aetna Merger Could Improve—or Undermine—Healthcare" by Allie Nicodemo.
"The main mission of CVS is to sell medicine. It's not to take care of patients....When someone is seeking medical care, they shouldn't be preyed upon in that way."
News @ Northeastern
December 5, 2017
Interviewed by News @ Northeastern regarding "Do Not Resuscitate" orders.
Vice News
November 7, 2017
Interviewed by Vice News regarding Neopets and Scientology.
NPR News
April 10, 2017
Interviewed by NPR News regarding geofencing, ad targeting, and privacy surrounding abortion clinics.
Boston.com
June 7, 2015
Interviewed for "Changing Your Name and Hiring Discrimination" by Justine Hofherr.
"'My concern with lying or gaming the system by misrepresenting your name and cultural background is you maintain the status quo when really what we need is an overhaul,' Illingworth said. 'We need a recognition of the value of diversity and multiculturalism....'"
WQXR
April 3, 2015
Interviewed for "Leipzig Quartet Violinist Appeals for Help with Legal Fees After Arrest" by Brian Wise.
"'From an ethics and philanthropy perspective, it is important that scarce philanthropic dollars be used where need is great and there is a high probability of the charitable organization meeting the need,' Illingworth wrote in an e-mail. 'Very often, crowd funding campaigns provide little in the way of information to potential donors, and no way to monitor the outcomes of the "donations." Donors can easily be duped....'"
WQXR
November 13, 2014
Interviewed for "Lincoln Center to Rename Avery Fisher Hall" by Brian Wise.
"'Typically, philanthropy is understood as the giving (and sometimes volunteering) for the love of humanity,' Illingworth wrote in an e-mail. 'In this case the Fisher family delivered $10 million to Lincoln Center in exchange for naming rights....'"
WQXR
June 5, 2013
Interviewed for "In Philanthropy, Why Naming Rights are the Name of the Game."
"'We like to think that the democratic process is what determines the social agenda,' said Illingworth. 'And yet when philanthropists start acting like governments, in a sense they can determine the social agenda. Naming rights can exacerbate that....'"
The New York Times
March 10, 2013
Interviewed for "In Big-Dollar Philanthropy, (Your Name Here) vs. Anonymity" by Mark Oppenheimer.
"The philosopher Patricia Illingworth, the editor of 'Giving Well: The Ethics of Philanthropy,' said that 'public giving is more desirable in many ways, because it really creates this culture of giving...."