Guardian Unlimited | Life | Don't dumb me down
Guardian Unlimited | Life | Don't dumb me down:
So how do the media work around their inability to deliver scientific evidence? They use authority figures, the very antithesis of what science is about, as if they were priests, or politicians, or parent figures. 'Scientists today said ... scientists revealed ... scientists warned.' And if they want balance, you'll get two scientists disagreeing, although with no explanation of why (an approach at its most dangerous with the myth that scientists were 'divided' over the safety of MMR). One scientist will 'reveal' something, and then another will 'challenge' it. A bit like Jedi knights.
So how do the media work around their inability to deliver scientific evidence? They use authority figures, the very antithesis of what science is about, as if they were priests, or politicians, or parent figures. 'Scientists today said ... scientists revealed ... scientists warned.' And if they want balance, you'll get two scientists disagreeing, although with no explanation of why (an approach at its most dangerous with the myth that scientists were 'divided' over the safety of MMR). One scientist will 'reveal' something, and then another will 'challenge' it. A bit like Jedi knights.
posted by Solomon | 3:03 AM
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