KTLA Anchor Thanks Us for Introducing Them to Ice Cream-Stuffed Doughnuts, Has Problem With Our Use of the Word “Diabetes”

The KTLA Morning News, along with other news outlets, picked up on our post alerting the world to the existence of Afters in Fountain Valley–a new dessert shop that was stuffing warm doughnuts with homemade ice cream and calling them “Milky Buns.” But the KTLA crew went one extra step than just re-reporting: They invited Afters to their studio and to bring some “Milky Buns” with them. Afters obliged (see the video after the jump).

I only became aware of the segment when co-anchor Frank Buckley sent me an email thanking us for the scoop (pun intended), but also to gently correct me on my use of the word “diabetes” in my post.

He writes:

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Edwin,

Thanks for introducing us to the Milky Bun! We had a few on our show today (KTLA 5 Morning News), and they were yummy.

I noticed in your piece on it that you made a reference to “getting diabetes” from eating one. I hope you'll consider that if you plan to write something like that in the future, that people with type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile diabetes) are diagnosed through no fault of their own and that diet has nothing to do with it.

I know you meant no harm, and I hope you'll take this in the spirit in which I send it–as the caring father of a son with type 1 who faces a relentless cycle of multiple finger pricks and insulin injections every day and will for the rest of his life. Folks in the type 1 community (especially parents like me) are particularly sensitive about diabetes reporting because our kids get painted with this brush that suggests they somehow brought it on themselves or that they can diet or exercise their way out of type 1 diabetes. They can't.

Again, this isn't meant as a criticism–just a friendly plea from a dad and background from a fellow journalist for future stories in which you mention diabetes. For my part, I say type 2 diabetes when I'm talking about type 2 and type 1 when I'm talking about type 1. May not seem like a big deal to most folks, but it sure is to those of directly affected by type 1 diabetes. Thanks for considering and for reading this long email.

Frank Buckley

Although I do know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2, I appreciate Mr. Buckley's email. So I'll make this pledge to him: I will try to not mistake Type 2 with Type 1 in my writing, but they have to promise that Sam Rubin won't mistake Jackie Chan for Chow Yun-Fat, as he did Samuel L. Jackson and Laurence Fishburne.

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