RE: 'Blue glow' reported at Paducah plant

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>]

Thanks for your post.

I don't know about other Radsafers, but I didn't find the news report as bad
as seems to be implied in your statement that "The quality of the journalism
in the article below speaks for itself."

The only reprehensible part, I think, is the Nuclear Control Institute's
typical lack of sketicism, in this case with regards to the fanciful
criticality interpretation of the blue glow sightings. The journalist did a
good job in interviewing others who did convey the appropriate level of
skepticism and gave correct justification for that view.

I frequently encounter journalism of much lower quality than this. The blame
for any ambiguity rests with those who raised the spectre of nuclear
criticality without providing masses of caveats, and the NCI which is
interested in maintaining ambiguity and "muddying the waters." They know
very well that this helps increase the profile of the news story and
perpetuates fear in the public eye.

Jaro
frantaj@aecl.ca
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