The Tyranny of Balance

One of the problems with the modern news media is that they simply don't believe that facts exist. They think EVERYthing is a political debate between two sides. So if they have a holocaust survivor on a show, they feel the need to have a holocaust denier on, too, for "balance." As though the two had equal validity.

Al Gore has figured that out. From CBS Early Show:

GORE: And the debate among the scientists is over, there is no more debate. We face a planetary emergency, and the phrase sounds shrill, but it is an accurate description of the climate crisis that we have to confront and solve.

SMITH: But if I look at more elements, the more conservative elements of the press, I would say there is a debate going on because, you know, they say that you’re just trying to create this kind of bogeyman to help slow down the economy and everything else. How do you respond to that?

GORE: Well, I guess in some quarters there’s still a debate over whether the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona or whether the earth is flat instead of round. And there may be some media reports that are constructed in a way that says, “On the one hand, on the other hand.” But really and truly, global warming is in that category – there is no more scientific debate among serious people who’ve looked at the evidence.

"I guess there's still some debate over whether the earth is flat, too."

Yep.