Support National Geographic for telling truth (religion v. science)

[Liberty Belle]

Note: This article indicates National Geographic has been losing subscriptions from angry fundamentalists. Please, send them a letter of support or better yet, take out a new subscription!
-- LB


'Our job is to tell the truth'
These days National Geographic is more likely to feature articles about acid rain or stem cells than pretty pictures of the Kalahari. Its editor explains why to Stephen Armstrong

Stephen Armstrong
Monday May 2, 2005

Guardian

National Geographic magazine has a certain reputation placing it somewhere between Health and Efficiency and Look and Learn... it is something of a surprise to find this esteemed journal developing into a bulwark of reason against the rise of the religious right and President Bush's anti-environment agenda. Recent cover stories have shouted down the teaching of creationism in schools and trumpeted the threat of global warming. National Geographic has lambasted US obesity rates, investigated cocaine's supply chain behind guerrilla lines in Colombia and given a detailed breakdown of exactly when the US is going to run out of oil if it keeps on consuming at current rates.

"A few years ago we took a policy decision that we weren't just going to document the world, we were going to try and conserve it," says Declan Moore, National Geographic's general manager. In January this year the magazine appointed a new editor, Chris Johns, who sees the job as being as much about campaigning as reporting.

"We were one of the first magazines to talk about acid rain," he explains. "We were one of the first magazines to address the cutting down of the rainforests in the Amazon basin. In our next issue, we'll have a story on stem cells. Increasingly we have found our voice by doing those kinds of stories. So we're doing more of them. After all, if you look at the world right now, the challenges are greater for us as human beings than they were 20 years ago."

When I ask if that means that the magazine is entering the murky world of politics, he steps very carefully. "When you get to politics there's propaganda, and issues can become foggy. Our job is to add clarity and tell you the truth. The truth of course is an elusive thing. But we will be accurate and fair. Will we always be balanced? Well, if 98 highly respected scientists say global warming's an issue for the United States and two respected scientists who are paid by oil companies say its not, then how will we treat those two scientists' voice? With very great care."


Full story:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5183839-105337,00.html

[BattyDem]

1. F*ckin' Fundies!

just because they believe something, no one else is allowed to have any other opinion or discuss any other beliefs.

Hey Fundies ... if you want to stay in the Dark Ages, be my guest! But I prefer to live my life in the light! :grr:

[Qanisqineq]

2. Now I feel bad for cancelling my subscription

I did it simply because I never found the time to read any of it and the magazines kept piling up around here. I was sick of packing them every time I moved (averaging about once every 1.5 years).

[Liberty Belle]

3. I did the same thing last year. Kids grown, nobody had time

to read it. Maybe I'll resubscribe.

[Tempest]

4. Account and password to read article

Account: [e-mail]
Password: lumpy