The article entitled "RNC loses bid to raise unlimited 'soft' money" by Sharon Theimer at www.washingtonpost.com, included links to court documents at www.uscourts.gov. This approach does readers a great service by not only supplying them with more facts but presenting them with information that is written by subject experts. These citations and links should be broadened to include links to specific academic journal articles when discussing researched points of fact. In this way the news can play a part of showing Americans how to rationally consider claims and prevent the mayhem that was the health care reform "debate" where controversial statements by non-experts, who profit from increased controversy, stifled collaborative innovation and debate.
An article on the health care debate, for example, would then provide links not only to the text of the bill itself, but to the text of CBO analysis, and the text or abstracts of relevant research published in peer-reviewed journals on health care economics, quality, or whatever else the case may be.
Where the educational system has failed, news writing may bridge the gap. It should also be noted that linking to expert level material written by Phd's for Phd's does not take the article out of reach of the the broader public. Most academic journal articles are largely understandable even to the lay person. Even if the content is not largely understandable it will at least point the reader in the direction of where rational analysis and debate should proceed.
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