It is sad to see the NYT fall into the old "tell both sides" scheme that has been exploited by political operatives so skillfully for the past couple of decades on issues like evolution and climate change. Here, the Times writes: "In fact, the randomness of the survey is precisely what makes the survey scientific, statistical experts say." The last three words are critical, making it seem like there's a serious debate about that, and encouraging readers to think that there is a "side" they can take (usually depending on what conclusion they favor at the outset). A decade ago, we foolishly thought that these were just ill-informed politicians who would back down after things had been explained to them by those who spend their lives and careers figuring this stuff out -- scientists. By now, however, it is clear that it is calculated political strategy that like-minded ground-troops will rally around, encouraged by the usual media sources, creating a fake public debate that successfully distracts from the actual issue. Until mainstream news organizations stop hobbling themselves with the "theater of objectivity" (not to be confused with the real thing) and are willing to straightforwardly call a diamond a diamond, this political tactic will be used again and again until no one knows what is what anymore.
Chris --- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================== On 2012-05-21, at 9:33 AM, Helweg-Larsen, Marie wrote: > And on the same issue from the New York Times > http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/sunday-review/the-debate-over-the-american-community-survey.html > > Marie > > Marie Helweg-Larsen, Ph.D. > Associate Professor l Department of Psychology > Kaufman 168 l Dickinson College > Phone 717.245.1562 l Fax 717.245.1971 > http://users.dickinson.edu/~helwegm/index.html > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Christopher Green [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 10:37 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: [tips] GOP Rep Daniel Webster Bashes Census Survey As "Random" > Rather Than "Scientific" > > Apparently certain members of Congress are about to start misusing the word > "random" to sow confusion about public opinion surveys in much the way they > successfully misused "theory" to sow confusion about evolution. Stats > teachers beware. You may well be the next target of political funny business. > > http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/05/20/gop_rep_daniel_webster_bashes_census_survey_as_quot_random_quot_rather_than_quot_scientific_quot_.html > > Chris > ....... > Christopher D Green > Department of Psychology > York University > Toronto, ON M6C 1G4 > > [email protected] > http://www.yorku.ca/christo > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13234.b0e864a6eccfc779c8119f5a4468797f&n=T&l=tips&o=17933 > or send a blank email to > leave-17933-13234.b0e864a6eccfc779c8119f5a44687...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=17943 > or send a blank email to > leave-17943-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=17950 or send a blank email to leave-17950-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
