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Hi All, Aug 4, 2007
We all make mistakes but Journalists seem to make a career out doing
so. I expect the unrealistic deadlines of the profession is a major
reason; just not time to check. But being relatively uninformed no doubt
helps.
A favourite passage that suggests almost no traction is "...a
snowfall of 30 centimeters (or at least 12 feet in Celsius)..." [Joel
Jacobson, Mar 11, 1993].
Yt, DW
Andy Moir/Chris Callaghan wrote:
> Interesting comments about the media, Chris.
>
> "Is it any wonder that there is often so much confusion in relation
> to science or natural history stories on the part of the general
> public when the level of reportage and fact-checking by the media is
> so lamentable (or perhaps this level of accuracy is simply typical of
> the media reporting on stories in general ... :->)."
>
> I recently sat through two weeks of public hearings on the proposed
> quarry for Digby Neck. (Before the hearings, I also read all of the
> 6000+ pages of the Environmental Impact Statement and the
> rebuttals). I heard many scientists discussing things such as water
> tables, geology, impacts on rare plant species, and a host of other
> topics. Some of these scientists worked for the proponent. Others
> worked for government. Still others did "independent reviews" of the
> many, many issues. Most of these scientists didn't agree on much of
> anything. Even scientists from various government departments
> couldn't agree. I don't have a problem with that. But I wish if they
> didn't know something, they would just say so, rather than claiming
> with certainty that their particular conclusions are, in fact,
> definitive. I make no excuses for the media making mistakes, but I
> don't have a lot of time for blaming the media for a lack of
> understanding of scientific issues, when scientists themselves are
> often as not muddying the waters as much as anybody else.
>
> One could say that if the level of some of the scientific expertise
> demonstrated throughout the quarry assessment is any indication of the
> level of science in general, it's no wonder the public has so little
> faith in what scientists claim to be true.
>
> Andy Moir
>
> Freeport
>
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