>It's always been
>strange to me how journalists have little or no background
>in social science research methods.
What's strange about that? Mainstream journalists are typically not merely lacking in such background, but hostile to anything that looks like rigorous inquiry. They're some of the most anti-intellectual people around. They'll call one expert, then call another, present them as "balanced" alternatives, and they've done their work. If they're feeling ambitious, they can make light fun of the whole process.
Doug