Mythbusting, NPR style...

I just thought that I would mention that the most recent edition of On the Media looks at media myths (I almost said "media mythperceptions" but I thought that was overkill--doh!). Refreshingly self-reflective skepticism on the part of the media. Also, good explanations of why a lot of inaccuracies flourish.

Topics include: President Obama being thought of as a "Muslim", Rosa Parks, The Bradley Effect, Genovese-Bystander syndrome, Spitting on Vets, and the incarnations of the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I actually just read the book (The Spitting Image) by the guy who showed that the stories of returning Vietnam vets being spat was basically unsupported by media accounts.

Good stuff all.

HJ

Thanks to Mike from Crooks and Liars for the swell link! If y'all are interested, I look at a number of skeptical issues in my ongoing HJHOP Summer Podcast Series. This week, does the Prophet Yahweh summon UFOs on camera? How should the post hoc fallacy guide American foreign policy? Lastly, why do so many people find David Icke's theory that lizard people actually run the world (he really says this ) so compelling? Because he can't turn off his damned mouth--sheer verbosity as a persuasive element of rhetoric!