Judgment Calls

The media is told that we often give too much coverage to small groups of vocal naysayers. Because we do not take polls, it is sometimes hard to figure out if we are dealing with a minority or majority of people pushing any given point of view. Take the proposed convention center as an example. It may well be that a majority of people support the idea of a convention center at the Edison Inn in Port Huron. It also may be that a majority of people oppose public funding of the project. Only a vote of the people would reveal the truth. So how do we cover the story? Do we accept the premise of the supporters of public funding that the opposition is loud but small? Unless every issue is put to a vote, it becomes a judgment call of the media. Our best guess is that the supporters of public funding are in the minority. So they should not be surprised or dismayed about the coverage the opposition receives. It would be completely unethical for the media not to cover their side of the story.