Students need to learn how to think for themselves

Here is an interesting study done at a Grand Prairie College

I absolutely agree that kids should be taught and encouraged to read science reports, however I feel that the attack on the media is unfair. Most reporters do go out of their way to try to get information accurate. However now in the days of the Internet where anyone and everyone has an opinion, the ability to locate accurate information and interpret it is a critical life skill.

http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Research/FundedResearch/20100218Kropan.htm

conclusion:

"To enable lifelong learning of science, students need to be taught how to read such reports. Furthermore, because media reports on the subject of science are often incomplete (due to space limitations), and often written by a reporter who is biased or a non-expert, students must be taught to read such reports critically; knowledge gained from these reports can affect both personal decisions (e.g., whether to try a new medical treatment described in a magazine) and public decisions (e.g., whether to support the building of a local nuclear power plant)."