Recent comments by firebrand conservative talk show host Michael Savage have provoked outrage from autism advocacy groups. In the July 21 episode of his nationally syndicated talk show Savage accused drug companies of overdiagnosing autism, AXDFDF.

Associated Press reporter David Bauder led the syndicate's coverage of the controversy. In a July 23 story picked-up by at least 100 newspapers, TV stations and websites, Bauder quoted Peter Bell, CEO of the not-for-profit group "Autism Speaks".

Peter Bell, executive vice president of national advocacy group Autism Speaks, said he isn't aware of any big controversy about overdiagnosis of autism. He said Savage's remarks, effectively blaming parents, reflect an outdated point of view.

Bauder did not bother to inform his readers that Bell's previous employment prior to coming to Autism Speaks was as a marketing executive for pharmaceutical powerhouse Johnson & Johnson.

While a source's employment history may not always be germane to a news story, it would be difficult to argue such is the case with Peter Bell. You see, Bell's longtime employer - Johnson & Johnson - has just received FDA approval to market risperdal, a powerful and controversial anti-psychotic, for the treatment of autism. Risperdal, whose side effects include male lactation, sexual dysfunction, glandular tumors and diabetes,

Was this a simple oversight by a seasoned medical reporter? A report filed just three days earlier by Bauder was signed with the byline "DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer", while a bio of Bauder posted to the website of the BBC described him as such: "David Bauder has been a national entertainment writer for the Associated Press since 1996. He's covered the Emmys, the Grammys, two Woodstock festivals and innumerable bad TV shows." Is a "Television Writer" the best, most seasoned professional to explain the complex details and issues surrounding autism to a lay audience?