Brad DeLong points out bad journalism by David Broder in the Washington Post. Broder wrote: "His budget allocates only $5 billion in additional money for the [State Children's Health Insurance] program in the next five years -- a sum that supporters of the program say is too small to cover even the 6.6 million children who are currently receiving help..."
Seems innocuous enough but DeLong jumps on that "supporters" word. As Dean [Baker] points out, it's not just "supporters": it's also the Congressional Budget Office--the high priests of nonpartisan reality-based budgeting" who say the amount is short. This is the standard journalism myth of saying every story has two equal sides (like climate change or evolution). Sometimes there are facts.
Last week Arianna Huffington pointed out In the Name of Objectivity, Media Clouds the Reality of Terror Report. "Here we go again. Another devastating report being spun as a mixed bag -- with the spin dutifully echoed by the media. Another administration brain tumor being "offset" by shiny hair. This time it's the new National Intelligence Estimate report on the threat of terrorist violence against America that is being given the utterly ludicrous "on the one hand... and on the other hand" treatment."
No comments:
Post a Comment