Getting the Facts Straight: A Viewer's Guide to PBS's Evolution


Accuracy and objectivity are what we should expect in a television documentary - especially in a science documentary on a publicly-funded network. But the PBS EVOLUTION series falls far short of meeting these basic standards. It distorts the scientific evidence, ignores scientific disagreements over Darwin's theory, and misrepresents the theory's critics. The series also displays a sharply biased view of religion and seeks to influence the political debate over how evolution should be taught in schools. EVOLUTION presents itself as science journalism, but it is actually a work of one-sided advocacy.

The series is intended not only for broadcast on public television, but also for use in public schools. EVOLUTION's biased content, however, makes it inappropriate for classroom use without supplementary materials. This Viewer's Guide has been prepared to help teachers, parents, students, and interested citizens ensure that discussions of evolution in the classroom fairly represent the evidence and the full range of scientific viewpoints about Darwin's controversial theory.


Download the Guide in PDF (~200k)
View the cover in PDF (~580K)

View the Guide in HTML format


Send this page to a friend