The Uncertainty Principle of Political Reporting

I begin by laying some brief background on a concept in physics called the Uncertainty Principle of Quantum Mechanics proposed by Werner Heisenberg. The principle describes the “uncertainty” between the position and momentum (mass times velocity) of a subatomic particle such as an electron. In his 1927 paper, Heisenberg wrote: “the more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known in this instant, and vice versa.” For our purposes, we will take this to imply that one cannot accurately determine both the Position and the Momentum of an atomic particle.

And how does such a ground-breaking scientific discovery apply to politics and political reporting? Contemporary political discourse in the US focuses heavily on the use of metaphors. George Lakoff in Don’t Think of an Elephant makes the point that the use of metaphors is critical in framing the debate on any issue. He gives the following example.

On the day that George Bush arrived in the White House, the phrase “tax relief” started coming out of the White House . . . . When the word tax is added to relief, the result is a metaphor: Taxation is an affliction. And the person who takes it away is a hero, and anyone who tries to stop him is a bad guy. This is a frame. It is made up of ideas, like affliction and hero. The language that evokes the frame comes out of the White House, and it gets into press releases, goes to every radio station, every TV station, every newspaper. And soon the New York Times is using tax relief. And it is not only on Fox; it is on CNN, it is on NBC, it is on every station because it is “the president’s tax-relief plan.” And soon the Democrats are using tax relief – and shooting themselves in the foot (Lakoff, 2004).

Lakoff states that “when you are arguing against the other side, do not use their language. Their language picks out a frame – and it won’t be the frame you want.” The conservatives had set a trap with “tax relief” and the Democrats fell into the trap and accepted the conservative frame.

Framing is about getting language that fits your worldview. It is not just language. The ideas are primary – and the language carries those ideas, evokes those ideas (Lakoff, 2004).

Metaphors are used widely both in campaign rhetoric and the jargon of self-ordained political pundits. It seems as if the media can be played as a yo-yo, spun out and reeled in by a string looped around a politician’s finger. I remember a time when the phrase “investigative reporting” meant something––it gave readers an expectation of well-researched and accurate information; nowadays the media norm is to engage in yo-yo “loop the loops.” Creative media spin occurs so quickly and so often that poor electrons must be spinning in their graves with shame.

What could be the cause for such a shift in journalistic reporting? One possibility can be attributed to the “simpleton” syndrome. That is, politicians think that people are simpletons; that we want just the big picture and are unable to digest the details. That the details which provide factual information are beyond our ken. Ergo, metaphors are enough to “paint the big picture.” While we can understand this sort of thinking by politicians, it is difficult to fathom why journalists are complicit in such propaganda. As a consequence, crucial details are lost in the bile of spin meisters and their infotainment media dittoheads.

Maybe it is because “creative politics” has become a new journalistic sport of the decade. Not everyone, however, supports the use of metaphors. George Orwell criticized bad habits in political writing:

By using stale metaphors, similes, and idioms, you save much mental effort, at the cost of leaving your meaning vague, not only for your reader but for yourself (Orwell, 1968).

Orwell’s opinion is in the minority in today’s media-crazed world. But one thing ought to be very clear––while these “creative” metaphors are deeply rooted in the culture and appeal to many people, they are not a substitute for good communication or responsible journalese.

When beacons like the New York Times toe the metaphorical line, it is time to unleash the Uncertainty Principle of Political Reporting:

One cannot determine both the Relevance and Accuracy of a media political story. If the story is relevant, its accuracy is questionable. If the story is accurate, it is definitely irrelevant.

References

Lakoff, George. 2004. Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate. White River: Chelsea Green.

Orwell, George. 1968. The Collected Essays, Journalism, and Letters of George Orwell 1920-1950, Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus (Eds.)