The Good, The Bad, The Spin

How wild horse advocates spin-doctor a volatile issue and spread misinformation

They are one of Nevada’s most misunderstood attributes. From long eyelashes in Disney movies to the ongoing anthropomorphic attitudes expressed by all stripes of mostly well-intentioned folks, Nevada’s wild horses are universally admired. They are also endlessly mired in controversy.

This is to be expected. As our “backyard pets,” that appear essentially harmless and carefree, it is easy to understand why people would be offended as the suggestion of removal of horses from rangelands—or human interference of any kind.

These good intentions are driven by emotion and passion, which frequently step in the way of reason and the desire to seek out science-based knowledge of the issue, especially if such information ends up unpleasant or contradictory to one’s beliefs. Nothing exemplifies this more than the uproar recently stirred when none other than Willie Nelson and Snoop Dog recorded audio commercials urging people to call Nevada’s governor to “intervene on behalf of our wild horses.” (more…)

Consider the beautiful bell curve, a graphic representation that tells much about the world. Most of us are weighted closest to the center of the curve in most matters—athletic ability, intelligence, attractiveness and so on. When it comes to issues relating the treatment of animals, most people likely fall into the middle of the bell of the curve, which could represent indifference to the issue, while others reside in both margins—ranging from extreme indifference to extreme passion (as one possible construction of the range of views).

The bell curve visual is important for a couple reasons. First, it shows a representation of the law of averages. Sooner or later the rolls of the die will average into the middle. The bell curve is not perfect, but for many scenarios it is telling of reality. Most of us are of average intelligence, for example.

The second reason the bell curve is important: News coverage often comes not from the mundane middle of the bell curve but from what is happening in the extremities. Dog bites man—average. Man bites dog—now this is news, and an unlikely roll of the dice.  (more…)