Something most non-fiction writers have noticed is that their work is simultaneously considered to be both too critical and too uncritical at the same time.
In my own writing, a given piece may be lambasted by some as being to favourable towards some person, thing, organization or philosophy, while simultaneously lambasted by others as being too harsh or critical towards exactly the same thing.
I feel it is something of a litmus test.
If the more extreme viewpoints on both sides consider that I’m taking an opposing position, then I’m probably somewhere reasonably near the middle.
Oh, but it is an exciting life being a comparative moderate. You need a somewhat thicker hide than if you’re out on an extreme.
Perhaps that’s why taking the reasonable position is so rare. It certainly takes more effort, and seems to draw a whole lot more criticism.
This post is leftist garbage! Or maybe rightist garbage! Or uppish! The reasonable, moderate position you present in this article infuriates me!
… Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Actually, the mainstream media constantly congratulates itself for its mediocrity by pointing out that both the left and the right complain about them so they must be doing something right when really, all they are doing is providing stenography to the left and the right and not really doing much in the way of factual reporting at all.
For example, rather than reporting that Sen. A says tax proposal D will cost taxpayers one amount and Sen. B says it will cost y amount, it is actually possible to determine who is telling the truth, but no reporter seems willing to do the work.
The mainstream media in the US assumes that the middle is the course of wisdom, but sometimes the middle is just a muddle. Take the issue of global warming, the compromise position between do nothing and take action to reduce carbon omissions is just more of the same personal conservation while industry and the unconcerned consume as madly as ever. As Jim Hightower once said, “the only thing in the middle of the road is yellow stripes and dead armadillos.”
Hey, I resemble that remark!
I insist that you stop with this fair minded, unbiased and informative journalism!!
It’s so last century, you must promote an opinion that has nothing to do with any facts, or any measure of resonableness.