Morton Mintz, a journalist who in articles and books exposed the perils of prescription medical products like thalidomide and the Dalkon Shield, and who challenged the auto industry to be more accountable to consumers, died on August 4 at his home in Washington. He was. 103.

From 1946 to 1958, Mr. Mintz was a reporter in St. Louis first for The Star-Times and then for The Globe-Democrat, where he exposed the plight of vulnerable people with intellectual disabilities. He was hired by The Washington Post in 1958, and for the next 30 years his reporting on consumer issues would help spur reforms by the federal government and Congress.

Of all the stories he investigated, his thalidomide exposé led to hearings that required pharmaceutical companies to prove both the safety and efficacy of their products before marketing them, to get informed consent before clinical trials and to report adverse drug reactions.

He also raised red flags about birth control pills, MER/29, a medicine that lowered cholesterol levels but with harmful side effects, and Oraflex an anti-arthritis drug that was ultimately withdrawn.