You CAN Handle the Truth

Abby Kongos | ak136116@ohio.edu

A few good indicators of opinion statements versus factual-based ones are the type of political appeal, lack of objective evidence, and context. Attacks are being made on news organizations for taking a partisan standpoint and construing information in such light. Journalists need to aim now more than ever to reveal and defend the truth.

The New York Times

The age we all live in as news consumers has become drastically saturated in articles that lean to one side or the other. So when can we take the information that is presented to us as factual? A major part of being able to identify correctly is based on whether you as a consumer are digitally savvy and trust in the media that is presenting the information. According to an article by Pew Research Center, “Almost four-in-ten Americans who have a lot of trust in the information from national news organizations (39%) correctly identified all five factual statements, compared with 18% of those who have not much or no trust.” Interestingly enough, the level of interest in the news from both groups made no difference in these results. 

Sifting through the articles that are pushed out into our feed every day and not taking the one that is most popular or shown up first as face-value information is extremely important. The trouble is that when a statement appeals to your side- democrat or republican- you are more likely to assume they are factual. The distinctions that we need to be aware of are the sources that are quoted and who are being represented in each of the statements.

When a source or statement isn’t properly vetted, the media will be called out and credibility breached. For instance, The Hill recalls an instance where Trump attacked MSNBC host, infamous for his opinion pieces, for reporting on information that wasn’t completely fact-checked. The result was that the story continued to pick up momentum even after it was redacted because readers were rightfully frustrated, especially in this age where fake news is a prominent issue. 

The pool of information on my daily news feed makes me feel like we are in a race for quantity of information, rather than quality. In-depth reviews of sources would ease the mind of the public in more ways than one. An obvious factor for identifying if a news source is dedicated to pursuing the truth is how they rely on ethical standards. This coincides with being accurate to the fullest extent and not covering up mistakes, but rather accepting the mistake and making a tactful correction.” Internally and externally, reliable news seeks ways to communicate its reliability. It is important that reporters develop a reputation, based on a track record, supported by the respect of their fellow journalists, by recognition with prizes, by promotion within news organizations that themselves have a track record of reliability,” says Michael Schudson from the Columbia Journalism Review. 

Journalists need to communicate their reliability effectively, even if that means that the truth you are reporting on makes people feel uncomfortable in what they have been taught and internalized.