truth & journalism

Truth & Journalism

Truth: the first and most confusing

principle 

By Andy Brimhall, Jessica Banuelos, Megan Monk and Tawny Zambrano

What does "Truth" actually mean?

vs.

4 truths

-Hierarchy

-Moral

-Allegorical

-Literal

Pentagon Papers

-In 1971 the New York Times published documents that told the public how involved the U.S. was in the Vietnam War.

-At first the court restricted any further publication of these Pentagon Papers.

-The court later approved of the Pentagon Papers to continue to be published.

Watergate 

Journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Berstein helped "uncover a system of dirty traacks".

Woodward's and Berstein's effort to find the truth lead to the resignation of President Nixon.

Code of ethics:Journalists vs. Bloggers  

“Perhaps the truth doesn’t even exist, since we are all subjective individuals”

(Kovach, Rosenstiel 40).

• "Journalism demands judgement- decisions whether a story is newsworthy, and judgements about the truth of the information included within that story."-Robert Niles, Online Journalism Review

•  Understanding "truthfulness" as a goal for journalists

What do journalists mean when they refer to searching for the truth?

• "Since the truth we tell can be no more than approximate, modesty alone requires that we properly represent other points of view, even if in the end we explicitly favor one over another.”-Jack Fuller,CEO, Tribune Publishing Company 

• We can't rely solely on accuracy in searching for truth because, "a journalist built merely on accuracy fails to get us far enough” (Kovach, Rosenstiel 42).

• Being vague about what truth means makes the public suspicious. 

The Media as Truth Vigilantes

Substitutes for Truthfulness1. Fairness2. Balance

Any substitutes?

Always striving for truth but may never fully achieve it. So...

Fairness: too abstract and    subjective.     Fair to whom? How can you     measure it?

Balance: Subjective; can be     distorted--may not be equal if    either side does not carry the same weight. 

No real substitutes!

Despite the Trends...

Weaknesses in the pursuit of truthfulness=Mixed Media Culture

*Journalists still believe telling the truth to be important 

1. Old Journalism of Verification

2. New Journalism of Assertion

3. Journalism of Affirmation4. Journalism of Aggregation 

Paradox of Learning in the Information Age

Partisan Journalism

"Journalism of affirmation, is even more appealing today...It is a way of achieving order in a confusing world"

Role of the News Today:     Answers the     question: "Where is    the good stuff?"    The "sense-maker"

"For truth to prevail, journalists must make clear to whom they owe their first loyalty."