The current indignation over airport screening reminds me how difficult it is to accurately report on issues that involve unlikely, but catastrophic outcomes. Just as poison ivy does not directly cause irritation, but spoofs our immune system into thinking our own skin is the enemy, careless reporting can cause more harm than good. And clear reporting in this sphere is so rare that I am aware of only one example. It was written in 1996 by Michael Kinsley, and is still instructive today.