Re: Info request
Aaron Harp (AHARP@marvin.ag.uidaho.edu)
Thu, 19 May 1994 11:43:30 PST8PDT
In watching the CBS "48 Hours" last night, I thought the rBST segment
presented the various dimensions of the issue better than any of the
other segments. The story was built around the conflict between
Monsanto and a dairy/processor in Texas, and this provided a much
more responsible foundation for educating a public on this issue than
testing the market basket of four families for pesticides, then having the
environmental "expert" say the results were "bad" while the cancer
"expert" said they were irrelevant. With the need for education on
issues such as these at such a critical juncture, I think CBS did no one
any favors with this whole report. There seem to be much better ways
to cover issues such as these. Yet, once again, large issues of choice,
public participation, social impact etc. were reduced to a tabloid-level
images of children at risk. I do not mean to diminish the issue of
children and risk, but when "public opinion" is as fickle as it is here in
the U.S of A., a few shallow discussions in the major media can make
an educational moment evaporate. Maybe next time....
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Aaron J. Harp
Extension Rural Sociologist
Department of Ag. Econ.
University of Idaho
Moscow ID 83844-2334
AHARP@MARVIN.AG.UIDAHO.EDU
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