Media Bias: Article Analysis

“Blind man sees wife for first time after having a TOOTH implanted into his eye,” is an article written by Paul Sims for the DailyMail webpage (Sims, updated 2009). Throughout the article, the absence of references cited and the lack of quotes from Mr. Liu (the surgeon), or from anyone in the hospital staff, compromises the article’s authenticity. The only quotes that are used in the article come directly from Mr. Martin Jones, the man whom the article was written about and who claims to have undergone Osteo-Odonto- Keratoprosthesis, or OOKP. More specifically, the article refers to the surgeon, Mr. Liu, who allegedly used the eye tooth of Mr. Jones, as a prosthesis in Mr. Jones’ eye in order to enable him to see again. Although the story in the article seems completely unrealistic, it is highly
probable that the story is true.
The DailyMail is a “tabloid” website (The Stationary Office, 2008) in the UK and it is the online subsidiary of the Daily Mail and the General Trust in the UK (The Daily Mail, 2013). Their parent company, DMGO (DMGO Stock Quote, 2013), has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1932 (London Stock Exchange, 2013) and the URL does exist and is authentic (Lagrose, 2005). Nevertheless, after researching numerous UK newspapers and websites, there is a great probability that this article seems to be based on actual events, and the picture used to portray a man to be Martin Jones does show his right eye medically appearing exactly like someone who has undergone the OOKP procedure. The article does indeed mention the famous surgeon, Mr. Christopher Liu, who carries multiple titles, one of which is the Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Sussex Eye Hospital, since 1996 until the present. However, this article that Mr. Sims credits himself as having written, based on Mr. Jones, is not the only article written on this procedure.
There are at least eight – word by word – articles from various websites and blogs, penning a different name and claiming to having written the exact same article, featuring the OOKP procedure and Mr. Jones most prominently. Several of these sources are 1DUNIA.NET (Tirto, 2012), The Telegraph (The Telegraph, 2009), and the EXPRESS (Jeeves, 2009). Consequently, I question who originally wrote the article, and while the premise is true, some of the medical facts mentioned sporadically throughout the article are not. A prime example is that the article states, “a revolutionary ‘new’ operation was pioneered at the Sussex Eye Clinic . . .” In reality, the OOKP “was developed some 40 years ago by Stampelli,” (Liu, C. et al, 2005).
Therefore, the main premise of the contents of the article appear to be true; however, the article contains several fallible facts and an allusive author – I was never was able to find out any information on him – assumingly named Paul Sims, (Cambell, B., & Moore, M., 2013) (Sims, 2013), writing for the tabloid, DailyMind, has a questionable background. On a positive note, a man by the name of Ian Tibbits, had the OOKPs procedure successfully completed by surgeon Christopher Liu, after several required surgeries and many months of procedures and hopes, (BBC News, 2013).
“It was an incredible moment – I never thought I would ever be able to see my own children,” says Ian Tibbits, 43, (Palmer, 2013).

References:
“Blind man has sight restored by having tooth implanted in his eye.” (2009, July 9). Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5737927/Blind-man-has-sight-restored-by-having-tooth-implanted-in-his-eye.html
Cambell, B., & Moore, M.
(2013, October 4). Paul Sims - Journalisted. Retrieved from http://journalisted.com/paul-sims-1
The Daily Mail. (2013). The “media UK” newspaper. Referenced from http://www.mediauk.com/newspapers/13700/daily-mail
DMGO Stock Quote - Daily Mail and General Trust PLC stock price today. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/dmgo?countrycode=uk 'How implanting a tooth in my eye restored my sight '. (2013, October 1). BBC Health News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24344545
Liu, C., et al. (2005). Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) (1 ed., Vol. 20, p. 113–128). London, England: Taylor & Francis Inc. Retrieved from http://www.sjsupport.org/pdf/eye_info/Seminars_OOKP_PDF_5.05.pdf
Jeeves, P. (2009, July 4). How a tooth let me see my wife for the first time. Retrieved from http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/111868/How-a-tooth-let-me-see-my-wife-for-the-first-time
Lagorce, A. (2005, August 15). Marketwatch News on DMGO. Retrieved from
http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/dmgo?countrycode=uk
London stock exchange. (2013, October 4). Retrieved from http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-markets/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB0009458117GBGBXSSQ3
Ownership of the News: House of Lords Paper 122-II, 1st Report of Session 2007-08 - Volume 2: Evidence; Bernan; The Stationery Office, 1 June 2008 – 608. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=MmKb3lmjn-0C&pg=PA86&dq=%22daily+mail%22+%22middle+market%22&hl=en&ei=JGzOTp3bN4roggfu-_D5Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22daily%20mail%22%20%22middle%20market%22&f=false
Palmer, A. (2013, October 4). “I cried when I finally saw my four-year-old twin boys for first time thanks to 'miracle ' eye surgery.” Miracle News. Retrieved from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/day-sight-back-eye-surgery-2336943
Sims, P. (2013, October 4). LinkedIn. Retrieved from http://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-sims/12/522/b50
Sims, P. (2009, July 3, updated). Blind man sees wife for first time after having a tooth implanted into his eye. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197256/Blind-man-sees-wife-time-having-TOOTH-implanted-eye.html
Tirto, K. (2012, January 9). Tooth implant helps blind man see. Retrieved from http://1dunia.net/2012/01/tooth-implant-helps-blind-man-see/