The Failure of American Journalism
In the article “Undoing Darwin” in the Columbia Journalism Review, Chris Mooney and Matthew Nisbet make the following excellent observations.
“At the very least, the flaws in the journalistic presentation of evolution by political reporters, TV news, and op-ed pages aren’t clarifying the issues.”
No they certainly aren’t. If I didn’t understand the underlying facts, most journalism on the subject wouldn’t have helped me much. Many articles have perpetuated common misunderstandings, such as that evolution teaches that men are descended from apes, that opponents of evolution use to their advantage. They also quote absurdities like "evolution is just a theory" with no critical evaluation or correction.
“Perhaps journalists should consider that unlike other social controversies — over abortion or gay marriage, for instance — the evolution debate is not solely a matter of subjective morality or political opinion. Rather, a definitive standard has been set by the scientific community on the science of evolution, and can easily be used to evaluate competing claims.”
Errr, more than perhaps especially when that definitive scientific standard cuts across virtually all branches of modern science including biology, zoology, paleontology, cosmology, astronomy, geology, physics and chemistry. To debate the validity of evolution is to debate not only the validity of all of modern science but also the validity of the scientific method itself. If one has any doubt about the accuracy of the scientific method, I refer them to technology, the offspring of science, which provides the strongest evidence of its effectiveness and its accuracy.
“Scientific societies, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, have taken strong stances affirming that evolution is the bedrock of modern biology. In such a situation, journalistic coverage that helps fan the flames of a nonexistent scientific controversy (and misrepresents what’s actually known) simply isn’t appropriate.”
This is what strikes me as the most disturbing. There is about as much controversy about evolution in the scientific community as there is about gravity. Yet poll after poll shows that the American public honestly believes that scientists are pretty much split over the validity of evolution. If it does nothing else, I would think that journalism in this country should at least take responsibility for insuring that the American public has the facts from which it can make an informed decision. I seriously think that much of the confusion here is the result of pure ignorance.
I find reprehensible the possibility that journalism in the United States has become so bankrupt that either it is afraid to take the strong position on the side of accuracy that is deserved or it chooses to perpetuate a phony controversy because it makes good copy.
Edward R. Morrow must be weeping at the sight of how a mighty institution has fallen. The vaunted 4th estate has become a source of embarressment rather than a source of pride. The guardian of truth and democracy appears to have deserted its post.
“At the very least, the flaws in the journalistic presentation of evolution by political reporters, TV news, and op-ed pages aren’t clarifying the issues.”
No they certainly aren’t. If I didn’t understand the underlying facts, most journalism on the subject wouldn’t have helped me much. Many articles have perpetuated common misunderstandings, such as that evolution teaches that men are descended from apes, that opponents of evolution use to their advantage. They also quote absurdities like "evolution is just a theory" with no critical evaluation or correction.
“Perhaps journalists should consider that unlike other social controversies — over abortion or gay marriage, for instance — the evolution debate is not solely a matter of subjective morality or political opinion. Rather, a definitive standard has been set by the scientific community on the science of evolution, and can easily be used to evaluate competing claims.”
Errr, more than perhaps especially when that definitive scientific standard cuts across virtually all branches of modern science including biology, zoology, paleontology, cosmology, astronomy, geology, physics and chemistry. To debate the validity of evolution is to debate not only the validity of all of modern science but also the validity of the scientific method itself. If one has any doubt about the accuracy of the scientific method, I refer them to technology, the offspring of science, which provides the strongest evidence of its effectiveness and its accuracy.
“Scientific societies, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, have taken strong stances affirming that evolution is the bedrock of modern biology. In such a situation, journalistic coverage that helps fan the flames of a nonexistent scientific controversy (and misrepresents what’s actually known) simply isn’t appropriate.”
This is what strikes me as the most disturbing. There is about as much controversy about evolution in the scientific community as there is about gravity. Yet poll after poll shows that the American public honestly believes that scientists are pretty much split over the validity of evolution. If it does nothing else, I would think that journalism in this country should at least take responsibility for insuring that the American public has the facts from which it can make an informed decision. I seriously think that much of the confusion here is the result of pure ignorance.
I find reprehensible the possibility that journalism in the United States has become so bankrupt that either it is afraid to take the strong position on the side of accuracy that is deserved or it chooses to perpetuate a phony controversy because it makes good copy.
Edward R. Morrow must be weeping at the sight of how a mighty institution has fallen. The vaunted 4th estate has become a source of embarressment rather than a source of pride. The guardian of truth and democracy appears to have deserted its post.
posted by Alencon at 4:19 PM
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