Vox and the False Consensus of ‘Most Economists Agree’

[demmiblue]

Source: FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)

When it launched in 2014, “new media” outlet Vox prided itself on having an analysis-driven approach, “explaining” the news to its readers in a clear and concise way. A rhetorical tic appearing in much of their reporting, however, belies those noble motives: the reliance on phantom economic and expert consensus.

Given that Vox does little original reporting, much of their selling point is quick, easy-to-understand analysis. A meaningful amount of this analysis, however, pivots on the toxic cliche, “most economists agree/think/say/believe,” and its equally toxic cousin, “most experts agree/think/say/believe.” This cliche is frequently used without a shred of evidence for said consensus.

Vox is by no means alone. This is a common trope found at the The Economist and other “wonky” neoliberal outlets. The problem with the refrain, aside from the fact that it’s a weasel phrase that wouldn’t pass muster in a 10th grade rhetoric class, is that it’s designed to posture, to aggrandize an argument based solely on the insertion of an entirely made-up consensus of bespectacled, important men hovering over data and dispassionately reaching conclusions that happen to dovetail with the author’s own positions.

Read more: http://fair.org/home/vox-and-the-false-consensus-of-most-economists-agree/