RE: 'Blue glow' reported at Paducah plant

["Michael C. Baker" <mcbaker@lanl.gov>]

Sometimes the quality of the journalism is reflected in what is chosen to
be "news" in the first place.  I agree that the reporter
did talk to adequate sources that reflected other interpretations, but
the story wasn't news worthy and the headline reinforces stereotypes that
just contribute to misplaced fears in the minds of the public.

Mike ... mcbaker@lanl.gov


> Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 12:17:41 -0400
> From: "Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca>
> Subject: RE: 'Blue glow' reported at Paducah plant
>
> 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