New at CJR: Scandal narratives vs. approval data

I forgot to post my latest CJR column on how some journalists and media outlets seized on a single poll to make evidence-free assertions that recent scandals had hurt President Obama's approval ratings. Here's how it begins:

Get out your wizard hats! It’s starting to sound like campaign season again.

Just as political reporters wanted to tell evidence-free stories about Mitt Romney’s “momentum” back in October, many media members are now being swept up in the Obama administration scandal narrative and making claims about the president’s declining standing with the public that aren’t yet supported by the data.

For more, read the whole thing.