Posted by:
flherp
at Tue Oct 6 21:21:39 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by flherp ]
The bigger number is the one that will be used because it fits the narrative that has been created by the media. A smaller number would undermine that news story - pythons taking over the planet. Anyone who has had any interaction with the news media will know that a retraction is printed when there is a substantive discrepancy between the facts and what was written. It will also be buried somewhere inside the paper. In this case, I would doubt a retraction will see the light of day even if requested, because the bigger number has been used by someone to delineate the possible range of the population of Burmese pythons and has become a meme, to be repeated when needed. It has taken on a life of its own and probably does not even need direct attribution any longer - "Everyone knows there are 180,000 Burmese pythons in the Everglades." Nuance does not matter - clear narrative does. The news is a spectacle to sell advertising; it is business that has less to do with good reporting than good story-telling.
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RE: good article on burm numbers - flherp, Tue Oct 6 21:21:39 2009