Resisting False Binaries When Reporting on the Complexities of Addiction
"Media coverage of the challenge of engaging people in care for addictions tends to present two options: voluntary vs. involuntary treatment. This framing may reflect the polarization of the current political climate, or debates over how communities should help people with complex needs, particularly individuals navigating substance use disorders, mental illness, and homelessness. But focusing on this either/or scenario falls into the trap known as a 'false binary' or 'false dichotomy:' when two mutually exclusive choices are presented as the only options, ignoring other things that exist between two extremes. It’s also frustrating for readers who are tired of polarized debates that don’t offer realistic solutions."
Reynolds Journalism Institute