Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

How Journalists Distort Science with Balance

Posted by jamie on from the false-and-balanced dept.

The scientist's job is to discover truth about the natural world, and the journalist's is to report the world's events accurately. Why are these two professions so often at odds? Chris Mooney discusses how journalism fails science in this month's Columbia Journalism Review. If you applauded Jon Stewart's plea to "stop hurting America," Mooney's analysis will strike a chord; the he-said-she-said approach to truth fails in all kinds of venues. (via: WorldChanging)

1 of 826 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Uh, what are you arguing exactly? by jamie · · Score: 5, Informative
    Liberals are used to CNN and the mainstream media where journalists label others as "conservative" but never use the word "liberal." I've never heard them say "liberal group MoveOn.org" but I've heard them say "conservative right-wing group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."

    AP wire, Nov. 2, 2004: "Minnesota Republicans failed Tuesday in a bid to push the liberal group MoveOn.org away from polling places..."

    ABC News, Oct. 18, 2004: "Hlinko is also one of the people behind the liberal group MoveOn.org..."

    San Francisco Chronicle, August 20, 2004: "The liberal group MoveOn.org is airing an ad..."

    New York Times, August 18, 2004: "Senator John Kerry denounced an advertisement by the liberal group MoveOn.org..."

    Washington Post, August 18, 2004: "...the spot being aired by the liberal group MoveOn.org."

    New York Daily News, August 17, 2004: "The liberal group MoveOn.org, meanwhile, airs a new ad today..."

    USA Today, August 4, 2004: "Members of the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth accuse Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry of lying about his Vietnam War record. The ad, called 'any questions' is the toughest political ad since an anti-Bush spot called 'Fire Rumsfeld' (showing a hooded Statue of Liberty to remind voters of how U.S. soldiers had abused prisoners in Iraq) was aired by the liberal group MoveOn.org in late May."