Margaret Morgan - January 18, 2007
Holcim Trident Plant
Useful Information
Thanks to the explosive growth of the Internet and other information technologies, Americans today have access to more data than we’ve ever had in history.
We now have hundreds—maybe even thousands—of news outlets, including round-the-clock cable channels and various magazines devoted to every conceivable special interest. We have also seen the expansion of information sources that didn’t even exist a generation ago, including web sites, the blogosphere and podcasts.
Access to more information gives us more choice, but also imposes a responsibility on us as citizens. As the consumers of all this information, we need to take a much more active role in determining what is legitimate and useful information and what is meant to mislead or confuse us. It is not in our best interests to accept information at face value, especially when that information may be contaminated.
A frequent source of this contamination is one-issue special interest groups with their own agendas, who resort to scare tactics to influence public opinion. And the most powerful of these scare tactics is the use of this ever- expanding and largely uncontrolled mass media to inflame public opinion. This results in a battle between facts and fear.
How can citizens ensure that they aren’t being manipulated by fear mongers?
First, we all need to be aware and skeptical of scare tactics. Scare tactics include the distortion of statistics. They also use emotional appeals and highly charged language designed to alarm or frighten. In many cases, they use outright false claims for which they never seem to be accountable, unlike businesses, especially regulated operations, which must be answerable for the information they disseminate.
Second, if a message sounds like it is meant to alarm rather than inform, we should question its source and its rationale.
Today, a number of groups exist which oppose almost any action or practice in which a business wishes to engage. These groups may be against growth or free enterprise or capitalism. Whatever motivates their hostility, many groups use scare tactics not because they are truly interested in the public health and welfare, but because they are interested in achieving their own objectives. These objectives might include everything from expanding their membership to increasing their political power and influence.
Finally, we need to be active and diligent in obtaining and using data. We need to dig deeper to get the facts. We need to get beyond the sound bites, the slogans and, especially, the rhetoric of fear, to understand what the data actually means and how it truly affects our lives. We need to go directly to the sources, seek verification, ask questions and demand answers. In short, we need to hold accountable those who seek to influence our opinions one way or the other.
We also need to read a variety of opinions before arriving at our own conclusions, since not only is there more than one side to any issue . . . there are usually several. And it’s usually not the loudest or angriest voices that have the most reliable data. Only by a careful and patient processing of information can we achieve genuine perspective reflecting facts and reality.
After all, history has shown that it is by rejecting scare tactics that can we arrive at the truth and move forward. By rejecting scare tactics, we have overcome irrational superstition and arguments to make advances in science, medicine, technology, and developments that have vastly improved our lives. Over the years, a vast majority of new ideas have been met by skepticism and criticism, and the facts get sorted out and we have been able to progress.
In a pluralistic society such as ours, the marketplace of ideas should always be open and robust. However, as consumers of information, we have a responsibility to challenge, validate, and accept or reject those ideas based upon a vigorous and intellectually honest inquiry.
This is Margaret Morgan for the Holcim Trident Plant, Three Forks, Montana.
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