-Caveat Lector- Press feeds Y2K fears, reporter says By Kim Weidman World Center 6.18.99 What do you think? Have your say in The Forum. ARLINGTON, Va. � Planes will not fall from the sky, elevators will not cease to operate, and famine will not engulf the earth on Jan. 1, 2000, USA TODAY's Michael Zuckerman said today at an Inside Media program at the Newseum. Zuckerman, who after covering the Y2K story for two years says the only precautionary steps he is taking is stockpiling food for his dog, said the news media have proved a large factor in spreading millennial hysteria. "The best prediction I can give is that those who are predicting the worst are wrong, and those who are predicting the best are wrong," he said. "I believe it will be somewhere in the middle." But the news, Zuckerman said, too often focuses on the worst-case scenario because the Y2K story is a science story, which wouldn't normally draw readers. "This is the gut instinct of the media, to make it more dramatic," Zuckerman said. "You gotta sell that paper; you gotta get that show watched; you gotta get those ratings." Zuckerman has experienced firsthand an editor who wanted to make the story more exciting. In his coverage, Zuckerman often compares preparing for Y2K to preparing for a hurricane, because people have an idea of what to expect but don't know all the details. "The first time I wrote that, an editor turned it into an earthquake, because a hurricane just wasn't dramatic enough," he said. In covering the Y2K story, Zuckerman has found that the best way to handle the uncertainty is to follow the basic principles of good journalism. "Keep an eye on the absolute facts," he said. "[Don't] try to make predictions." And Zuckerman's suggestion to readers is to also use their good judgment when deciding what to believe. "The thing to look for is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If it sounds too dramatic to be real, somebody's probably overstated [the facts]," he said. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
