Classic Example of Backspin

The following article is a classic example of media backspin, which is used to simultaneously refute a controversial position and call into question the sanity/integrity of the person/people taking the position: Dr. Koop - AIDS Conspiracy Theory Belief Linked to Less Condom Use

A survey was conducted by the Rand Corporation (not surprising) and Oregon State University. It was a telephone survey of 500 "black Americans" aged 15 to 44, and it took place from 2002 to 2003. Apparently, researcher found that some of the participants believed that AIDS is a virus created by the U.S. government to control the black population. Some even felt the disease is a form of genocide waged against black Americans.

That's rather startling, but note that those beliefs were held by a minority of the respondents. Still, that's news. So why does the article above link such beliefs with low rates of condom use? The author, Randy Dotinga says in his/her opening paragraph that "the men most likely to believe such a conspiracy theory are the least likely to use condoms."

An implied qualifier, "least likely to use condoms". There is no further enlightenment on WHY they are least likely to use condoms. Perhaps they are married and monogamous? Perhaps they are celibate? Perhaps they are elderly? None of this information is provided in the article, so since the context is missing, how is the information useful?

It is useful because it call into question the intelligence of those men. It takes focus off of the disturbing discovery that there are those who believe their own government is trying to kill them, by indirectly questioning the decision-making skill of those same people. Classic backspin. And this is how the story will be played by the networks, should they choose to run it.

Our media has failed us.

More later...
Paul