Truth and Journalism

            “Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth” (Kovach & Rosenstiel 36).  As a communications major, I thought I knew what truth was.  However, when I read the 2^nd chapter of The Elements of Journalism, it’s been difficult to pin down what exactly is truth.  I’ve come up with ideas of what truth is and what it isn’t, but as of right now, it’s hard to give it a definition.  I’ll be referring to a couple ideas expressed in The Elements of Journalism. Perhaps in the future, I or the world will find a suitable definition for “truth”.

            From what I have gathered in my years as working for my high school’s yearbook staff, completing courses in communications at Brigham Young University, and reading contemporary books on journalism, truth is information gathered so the public can function each day and act for themselves.  The truth is then presented as the news.  “This is what journalism is after – a practical or functional form of truth. . . Journalism can – and must – pursue the truths by which we can operate on a day-to-day basis” (Kovach & Rosenstiel 42). Is this not what journalism is about?  Gathering the truth in the facts and presenting citizens what to think about so that they can act out self-governance? It never occurred to me until I read The Elements of Journalism that these two principles, truth and news do not mean the same thing.  Although they are often coined together in journalism, they differ greatly in their functions.  Walter Lippmann said that while the function of the news is “to signalize an event”, the function of truth is “to bring to light the hidden facts, to set them into relation with each other, and make a picture of reality upon which men can act” (Mindich 115).  There is no mention of truth in the definition of news.  How many news reports have we seen proven to be false?  How many news outlets have tended to be biased?  Not to mention that these news outlets are run by huge conglomerates and have an agenda. So why do we as citizens continue to believe what we hear on the news? 

We, as citizens, continue to rely on the news because journalism was built on democracy.  We believe that we have a right to know what is happening in our world.  The world goes around and exchanges are made because of trust.    When there is truth in the words one says, the other feels safe and can continue to make decisions.  The news business is not perfect but they strive to provide the truth in the facts.  If they purposely failed to do so, they would have gone out of business a while ago. “Truthfulness creates, in effect, the sense of security that grows from awareness and is at the essence of news” (Kovach & Rosenstiel 37).   When the presses were controlled by the government hundreds of years ago, the people hated it because they felt like they were being deceived.  What was being presented was propaganda.  When the common people had the rights to print what they wanted to say, they searched for the truth.  They didn’t care if it benefitted them.  They were concerned with the common people knowing the truth of what happened each day.  Citizens today continue to listen to the news because reporters not only gather news; they gather the truth in the facts. 

Condoleezza Rice said at a Brigham Young University Forum, “today’s headline’s and history’s judgments are rarely the same.”  In The Elements of Journalism, there was a story about Defense Secretary Robert McNamara.  He told the news that the war in Vietnam was going well but then the Pentagon Papers were revealed the opposite about what was happening in Vietnam.  The Pentagon Papers caused quite a stir for the people as well as journalists.  Did the reporters present the truth because the Pentagon Papers revealed what was really happening in Vietnam?  I believe that the reporters did present the truth even though it turned out to be false later.  The reporters for the Pentagon Papers presented what was given to them from a “credible source”.  The reporters did not make up the facts or what Secretary McNamara said.  They presented what was given to them.  Reporters always give credit to what others say so they don’t fabricate their stories.  They present information that is currently happening and credible at the time.  If there is a discrepancy, they will report it immediately.  Journalists always present the truth, even if in the end it turns out to be false.

We did a journalistic truth activity in class on January 25, 2010 that reminded me of the story about the Pentagon Papers.  We were split into 5 groups.  Each group was given reporter’s notes and quotes.  We were all given the same story, meaning that it was about a Carl Bloch missing painting.  With that being said, each group presented their story.  I noticed that as each group presented their story, the following group contained more information than the previous group.  We all had the same facts but some contained more facts than others.  The first group’s story, although contained the same truths as the last group, appeared to be different because the last group presented more information.  Did the first group then not present the truth?  But more than anything, who was right out of all the groups?  Was it the last group because they contained all the facts?  Or in reality, were all the groups telling presenting the truth?  We all presented what was given to us: credible information.  We didn’t embellish the stories.  Other groups were just given more information and I believe that time was a factor in the presentation of information.

Truth continues to be ambiguous in its definition to journalists.  It even puzzled me during my reading.  A few things that I’ve gathered from reading about journalistic truth include:

·         Truth and news don’t mean the same thing because of their functions.

·         Journalists seek the truth in the facts. 

·         What journalists present is the truth in the facts on that day.  It may prove to be false later, but they will always correct their mistakes.  They give credit to their sources.  News presented that day contains truth for that day.

What is Journalism? Who is a Journalist?

Dr. Cressman, professor of Communications, assigned us to read a chapter from Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel’s novel The Elements of Journalism.  In the first chapter, it posed what seemed to be a simple question, “what is the purpose of journalism?” Seems like a question that can be easily answered on Wikipedia or Cha-Cha.  I thought that I as read the chapter it would confirm my idea of journalism.  Rather than having my thoughts reaffirmed, new insights were added to my understanding of journalism.  Now this is not a book review but an evaluation on what is journalism and who is considered to be a journalist. 

Journalism, what is journalism?  According to Wikipedia, journalism is considered to be “the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues, and trends to a broad audience . . . the ideal is to inform the citizenry.”  However, journalism is more than just gathering information and informing the public of current events.  It is the presentation of information to citizens so that they can become free and self-governing individuals.  How is this possible?  In The Elements of Journalism, they list the elements of journalism.  The elements of journalism reiterate why journalism “provide[s] citizens information they need to be free and self-governing.” 

Journalism informs citizens of important events to serve their general welfare.  Part of that general welfare is freedom and self-governance.  Journalists strive to provide those values for its citizens because journalism’s first loyalty is its citizens.  The idea of journalism often coincides with the idea of democracy.  Democracy was born because individuals wanted to protect the rights of the others living in their community.  Journalism was born because individuals wanted to uphold citizens’ rights on knowing what is happening in the world.  Those who tried to limit democracy, tried to limit the press as well.  Journalism serves an audience, a community, the whole rather than an individual.  Journalism is concerned for the people’s rights and liberties.  If journalism was not based on a community goal, it would be known as its antithesis: propaganda. 

Now that journalism has been “better” defined, this brings up another concern.  Who is a journalist?  On paper, journalists are people who have degrees in mass communications and work for a newspaper agency or television station.  However, with the rise of citizen journalism, many believe that credentials are useless.  With advances in technology, such as social networking and blogging, it has become so easy to report what’s happening around one’s surroundings.  People have become their own “reporter.”  Some see this as revolutionary and brilliant while others see it as a threat. Citizen journalism has not only become a concern to those who have the title “journalist” but citizens who search for the truth.  There are multiple voices that it’s hard to distinguish who is right. 

However, citizen journalism strengthened journalists’ purpose in the world.  Journalists, for a while, served as the gatekeepers of what should be revealed to the public.  Due to advances in technology, the role of a gatekeeper no longer became the main job of journalist.  Now, journalists serve as the mediator of all the noise and confusion in the media put out by amateurs and biased sources.  Despite citizen journalists on the rise, journalists have come out stronger because they verify statements and will only put out what is true.  Before putting out a story, journalists confirm their sources to ensure credibility and trust with the public.  A journalist is one who seeks out the truth while leaving behind biases of any nature.  While many voices are being heard through television, newspapers, and the internet, a true journalist puts away biases and presents the truth for all to hear.           

Many today, continue to argue and challenge each other on what is journalism and who is a journalist.  While this debate may continue to have no end, two ideas can be agreed upon:

·         Journalism is the search for truth to provide the public what to think rather than how to think. 

·         Journalists not only inform but clarify and make order out of all the noise that’s going on.