tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post2872667858963369493..comments2024-03-28T02:46:03.227-04:00Comments on The Historical Society: Pseudohistory on ParadeRandallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16755286304057000048noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post-33765964874284315392010-06-21T11:36:30.211-04:002010-06-21T11:36:30.211-04:00That's interesting about the 20/20 episode. Th...That's interesting about the 20/20 episode. They should have asked: Does this count as real reporting?<br /><br />There's that false sense of balance or controversy that journalists sometimes cultivate. Sometimes there just is no controversy.Randallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16755286304057000048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872819010848426693.post-15720041509024004872010-06-21T07:34:20.052-04:002010-06-21T07:34:20.052-04:00I hadn't been exposed to this line of the medi...I hadn't been exposed to this line of the media's use of history until the _Da Vinci Code_ phenomenon. Some friends of mine recorded a 20/20 episode on the subject in which academics/intellectuals/writers and clergy were interviewed (including Umberto Eco!) regarding the supposed 'revelations' in the _Da Vinci Code_. I was horrified at the manipulative way that the editors had made a controversy out of something that wasn't a controversy--that 'use of the question mark' that you mentioned was crucial. They would say "was Jesus Christ in fact married?" and then precede to interview lots of 'authorities', none of whom were saying any such thing. Then they would end the segment by saying "controversy obviously still exists over this topic"--when no reputable authorities were really arguing!<br />I was horrified about that sort of reporting and when I realized that popular television 'documentaries' are doing this sort of thing, I got a bit discouraged. Maybe it really is all for fun, but it makes it hard to have 'straight' history taken seriously.... My students have a hard time knowing what counts as evidence as it is.<br /><br />Fascinating.Lisa Clark Dillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00155783885263417225noreply@blogger.com