Remembering consumer writer Mitch Lipka

Priyanka Dayal McCluskey of the Boston Globe writes about consumer writer Mitch Lipka, who died Monday at the age of 53 from sarcoma.

McCluskey writes, “Mr. Lipka, of Worcester, had a three-decade career in journalism. He found a niche as a consumer reporter, often focusing on product safety and fraud. Friends and colleagues recalled him as a dogged consumer advocate who sought to simplify important information and guide consumers into making wise decisions about how to spend their money.

“‘He was writing about all sorts of things — how not to get scammed, how to get money back from the airlines if your flights are canceled — really good consumer advice,’ said Beth Pinsker, deputy money editor at Reuters, who worked with Mr. Lipka. ‘He really paid attention to a lot of things other people didn’t . . . and he was able to figure out what was really important.’

“Mr. Lipka’s work touched on what matters to people, Pinsker and others said, whether it was raising concerns about dangerous flashlights or examining whether organic milk is worth its price.

“‘He did a lot to educate consumers about their basic rights; that seemed to be the theme of his columns,’ said Edgar Dworsky, founder of www.consumerworld.org. ‘There aren’t that many pure consumer reporters left around. He’s really leaving a void.'”

Read more here.