12 September 2012
Fact resurgence
It's interesting (ha) to see conservatives rally around fact checkers during the DNC last week. Many times, I've winced as conservatives mock the "fact-checking liberal shills" (also: ha). This goes hand-in-hand with the Romney pollster stating that We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers.
Yesterday's Brian Lehrer show had Brooke Gladstone talking about her On The Media edition on fact-checkers. On The Media has always danced between the heady meta of watching the watchers and a more Earthly honesty that has them say what we're all thinking. It gets corny at times (as most Public Broadcasting Humor is guilty of), but the rewards are there. Ultimately, their style of honest curiosity is what fact-checking needs.
The Atlantic's recent assessment of a reporter fact-checking Obama is in this vein too. Coming from a Fox affiliate, it smells of convenient hypocrisy (now it's actually patriotic to question the president...), but an insincere source shouldn't weaken an honest message.
And, partisaness aside, it's interesting to read atheist-liberal Gore Vidal's essays decrying (1) corporate ownership of politicians, (2) media ownership of politics, and (3) the imbalance of wealth that made it possible. And all this 20 years ago... . He's certainly a well-placed choir to the current politics and a prelude to my dive into the new atheist authors.
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