In complex stories, the values of objectivity and fairness, decent and respected as they are, often tie our hands in attempts to write down to the bone of an issue. When ozone concerns first began appearing in the news with regularity in the 1980s, readers initially accepted ozone depletion as a global concern. But well-organized campaigns by business interests worked to discredit the theory, and today many Americans believe concerns about the ozone layer were an extremist hoax. Congress and chemistry have little in common, but reporters regularly quote legislators and researchers on the issue as if their comments carry equal weight. I understand that journalists are trying to be fair by allowing all voices to be heard, but a competing value should be ferreting out the truth when that is possible.
Entertainment is entertainment and news is news.
But rather than light the way in the discovery of common ground, many of our stories serve up drama, dissent, and social discord.