CNN, in a new struggle with the definition and practice of credibility, played matador in allowing questionable statistics on the air in a debate over a Texas legislative move to prevent same-sex couples from becoming foster parents. CNN allowed a supporter of the legislation to claim that research showed that children in foster homes with same-sex parents are 11 times as likely to be sexually abused as those with heterosexual parents.
“The Numbers Guy” column in the Wall Street Journal nailed the shady stat: “To get on CNN, that number snaked through a twisting path, from a little-noticed Illinois study published by an antigay scientist/activist in a psychological journal, to several conservative Web sites, to, finally, the attention of a Texas activist who presented her misinterpretation of the study on national television, essentially unchallenged. It's a textbook example of how flawed numbers can gain national attention if advocates work hard enough -- especially when there aren't widely-known conflicting estimates.”
The CNN anchor, supposedly moderating the debate, allowed the claim to go unchallenged. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show showed up CNN by capturing the moment on the air, and archiving it on his website (see Gaywatch video section).
Posted by schwitz at May 2, 2005 07:41 AMThat's not the only "questionable statistics on the air" that the mainstream media has allowed on the air.
The Numbers Guy followed-up on a suspect statistics provided by the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/
0,,SB111521814339424546,00.html?mod=2%5F1125%5F1