The Fright Game

This Author sees an appalling trend which has been bad for years, but is becoming worse, and even invading Journalistic reportage. This is the Fright Game. All Writers look for a Hook upon which they can base a Report or Book. It is the traditional path of successful authorship, and universally known by Novelists. The trouble comes from the fact it is invading the Sciences and Science reporting.

The first victim of the Trend comes in failure to place the reported facts in context. No one explains anymore just how important such Events are in the greater environment. I read an article this morning on low-grade radiation release from nuclear plants. The Article was balanced according to Today's standards, but language association could have led one to consider this Problem huge in context. Actual consideration of the facts would estimate the environmental risk would equal far less than 1% of the biohazard pollution released over the Time period of leakage, even in the State in question. Only the last Paragraph admitted the total Discharge was slated to be released as effluent to Rivers anyway.

There is no doubt this Planet is becoming overpopulated, and indeed, a percentage of such overpopulation consists of Writers, or would-be Authors; by the way, this Author has already heard the one about People in Glass Houses. Still, We should ask Ourselves to adhere to a higher Standard. lgl