The Counter-deception Blog

Worthwhile OpEd on how the media's "he said--she said" policy of "balance" lets the spinners get away with anything that sounds plausible.

• Dante Chinni is a senior associate with the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism. He writes a twice-monthly political opinion column for the Monitor.

from the September 28, 2004 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0928/p09s01-codc.html
Press 'fairness' in politics: Just relativism disguised?
By Dante Chinni
WASHINGTON - It is en vogue for politicians to rail against relativism these days. In a world that seems more dangerous and complicated than it has been in decades, campaigns like to offer people an anchor, to say they stand for something solid.
...
But, as is often the case in politics, the reality is more complicated than that. Relativism is, and long has been, the driving force behind one of the biggest tools in politics - spin. Spin is relativism made practical. It seeks to take a set of facts and through the adept application of argument and selective information make them look like something other than what they are.
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Opinions are wonderful things, and everyone has a right to one. But opinions aren't all equal. ... we in the news media have to get back to making people provide evidence for claims they make. We've made our mission, which was once about providing the most reliable account available, into one of providing differing views - at times with little regard for fact.
The first presidential debate is Thursday in Miami. It's guaranteed that at some point one candidate or both will try to spin an answer or two or three. The question is, will we call them on it?
If we don't, soon we may "fairness" ourselves right out of business. Who needs journalism if truth is just a matter of opinion?