Critical Defect

The New York Times Just Says No

"The basic ethic of news reporting," explains a booklet produced by the New
York Times Newspaper in Education Program, is to "convey reliable
information from trustworthy sources, present the information objectively,
and acknowledge both sides of an issue." The booklet then proceeds to
violate every one of those principles.

In Focus on Marijuana, a new lesson guide for middle and high school
teachers, the Gray Lady lends her venerable name to "anti-drug education"
that praises evenhandedness while ignoring contrary viewpoints and teaches
"critical thinking skills" by passing along propaganda. The 85-page
booklet, produced in cooperation with the Office of National Drug Control
Policy, exemplifies the current vogue in "substance prevention," which
eschews "didactic approaches or scare tactics" in favor of "interactive
teaching techniques." The lesson plans are full of questions, but there is
still only one right answer.

Students may have some questions of their own. According to Lesson 1, for
example, itis a "myth" that "marijuana is not addictive." Yet a New York
Times article in Lesson 4 refers to "the debate over whether marijuana
is...habit-forming." Lesson 1, which suggests that itis reckless to try
marijuana because some people use it to excess, notes in passing that the
same could be said of alcohol. Lesson 5, ostensibly about the dangers of
smoking marijuana, focuses mainly on tobacco. Similarly, Lesson 7 is
supposed to be about "drugged driving," but almost all the data it presents
deal with alcohol.

Along with the contradictions and non sequiturs, there are plenty of
questionable claims. An article by a physician asserts that "marijuana
today is anywhere from 10 to 20 times as potent as what was passed around
at Woodstock." The lesson guide says itis a "myth" that "marijuana makes
you feel relaxed and laid back," suggesting that pot smokers are just as
likely to be become "enraged" and aggressive.

Focus on Marijuana urges teachers to "impress upon students the importance
of evaluating information for themselves and finding trustworthy sources of
information." The lessons may well accomplish that goal, but probably not
in the way The New York Times intended.