The failed model of 'he said, she said'

The Preamble to the Ethics Code of the Society of Professional Journalists:

Preamble
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues (emphasis added). Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice.

From a poll taken by two preeminent institutions of journalism - the New York Times and CBS News:


So only 12% of those polled have learned the truth, which, according to William Gale, co-director of the Tax Policy Center and director of the Retirement Security Project at the Brookings Institution, is that "taxes are at their lowest levels in 60 years".

"The relation between what is said in the tax debate and what is true about tax policy is often quite tenuous," Gale told Hotsheet. "The rise of the Tea Party at at time when taxes are literally at their lowest in decades is really hard to understand."