Not every opinion is equal

This is an interesting explanation by Patrick Stokes as to why all arguments are not equal and why journalists should strive for true balance — seeking out all legitimate and appropriate views — and avoid the false-equivalencies we tend to traffic in. His example — the anti-vaccine movement — is a good one, but one can also look at the attacks on climate scientists by business interests and a host of other issues to see how this works.

I see it in my classes as students substitute unverifiable opinion and belief for fact-based analysis in their papers and in class discussions, and as our political discourse is controlled more and more by shout-fest cable shows and radio hosts.

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Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet