Challenges

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This collection, based on several of Lang's "Files", deals with the area where the worlds of science and academia meet those of journalism and politics: social organisation, government, and the roles that education and journalism play in shaping opinions. In discussing specific cases in which he became involved, Lang addresses general questions of standards: standards of journalism, discourse, and of science. Recurring questions concern how people process information and misinformation; inhibition of critical thinking and the role of education; how to make corrections, and how attempts at corrections are sometimes obstructed; the extent to which we submit to authority, and whether we can hold the authorities accountable; the competence of so-called experts; and the use of editorial and academic power to suppress or marginalize ideas, evidence, or data that do not fit the tenets of certain establishments. By treating case studies and providing extensive documentation, Lang challenges some individuals and establishments to reconsider the ways they exercise their official or professional responsibilities.