Foxes and Dissertations

On October 7, 1996 Fox News Channel began broadcasting. What lessons can a dissertation student learn from this fox?…

Fair & Balanced? Right. Love it or hate it, you must agree that Fox is neither fair nor balanced.

The very fact that a statement like “love it or hate it” can be applied to a news broadcast and no one even blinks is testimony to the lack of objectivity and equanimity.

In the media, this bias has fed, nurtured, and almost certainly grown the horrible divisiveness in our country. And the problem is not confined to Fox News. Both sides have created intense echo chambers that stifle any diversity of opinion and amplify the party line.

In science, such bias is equally dangerous, but, fortunately, it’s simply not tolerated. As you write your dissertation, you must police yourself to ensure that your analysis is objective, your involvement is unbiased, and your conclusions are completely justified.

Your writing should be precise and conservative. Not Fox-News conservative. Don’t-leap-to-conclusions conservative. It can be difficult for professionals who are used to injecting themselves and their perspectives into their writing to adapt to this very sterile style. But, it’s imperative that you do so. Your committee will not let you graduate until your writing demonstrates this level of restraint.

If only our media could commit itself to a similar level of discipline, of objectively, of open-mindedness, perhaps we could begin the long trek back to being a single country. An I-can-pick-on-my-brother-but-you-can’t tight-knit family.