--- title: "UnitedHealth Is Asking Journalists to Remove Names and Photos of Its CEO From Published Work" description: "In the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder, the insurer's parent company is now asking journalists to remove or obscure photos of its CEOs' names and faces. Shortly after Futurism published an article about \"wanted\" posters featuring CEOs of UnitedHealth Group, UHC's owner, and its prescription middleman Optum Rx, a spokesperson for the parent company reached out asking if we would adjust our coverage to \"leave out any names and images of our executives' identities.\" That original piece, notably, did not include either CEOs' name in its body, but the header image accompanying the article does depict screenshots of a […]" date: "2024-12-13" modified: "2024-12-13" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/unitedhealth-journalists-names-photos" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "brian thompson" - "insurance" - "journalism" - "unitedhealthcare" --- # UnitedHealth Is Asking Journalists to Remove Names and Photos of Its CEO From Published Work ![In the wake of Brian Thompson's murder, the UnitedHealth is now asking journalists to remove or obscure photos of its CEOs' names and faces.]() *\Image: Stephen Maturen via Getty / Futurism\* In the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder last week, the [insurer's parent company]() is now asking journalists to remove photos of its remaining executives' names and faces. After [*Futurism* published a blog about "wanted" posters]() appearing in New York City that featured the names and faces of the CEOs of UHC's owner UnitedHealth Group and its prescription middleman Optum Rx, a spokesperson for the parent company reached out to ask if we would adjust our coverage to "leave out any names and images of our executives' identities," citing "safety concerns." That original piece didn't include either CEO's name in its text, but the header image accompanying the article did show screenshots of a [TikTok video showing the posters]() that had been spotted around Manhattan, which featured the execs' faces and names. During these exchanges, the spokesperson repeatedly refused to say whether any specific and credible threats had been made to the people on the posters. Out of an abundance of caution, we did decide to edit out the names and faces from the image. But the request highlights the telling dynamics of the murder that have seized the attention of the American public for over a week now. While everyday people [struggle to get the healthcare they need]() with no support — and frequently die during the process — the executives overseeing the system have operatives working behind the scenes to control the dissemination of information that makes them uncomfortable. After all, these are business leaders who are paid immense sums to be public figures, and whose identities are listed on Wikipedia and business publications — not to mention these insurers' own websites, until they [abruptly pulled them down]() in the wake of the slaying. There's also something unsettling about the rush to decry the murder and censor information around other healthcare executives when children are killed by gun violence every week, with little reaction from lawmakers and elites beyond a collective shrug. Per the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks firearm violence, [there have been at least five mass shootings]() since Thompson was killed on December 4. There have also been two ongoing stories about children shooting and killing family members — one in which a seven-year-old [accidentally killed his two-year-old brother](), and another involving a [toddler who shot his 22-year-old mother]() with her boyfriend's gun after discovering it lying around. When anybody is killed with a firearm in the United States, whether they're a CEO or a young mother, it's a tragedy. But only one of those horrors activates a behind-the-scenes effort to protect future victims. **More on the UHC shooting:** [*Americans Point Out That UnitedHealthcare Tried to Kill Them First*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()