"Any good blogger, competing journalist or alert press critic can spot and publicize false balance and the lame acceptance of fact-free spin. Do users really want to be left helpless in sorting out who's faking it more? The he said, she said form says they do, but I say decline has set in."
--Jay Rosen
New York University Journalism Professor
Are there really only two sides to every story? Hardly. Depending on the context and situation, not every situation is a clear case of he said, she said. Or even, he said, he said. Or she said, she said. Because--in some cases--the truth can and almost always will be skewed to better suit each of the person's devices. Whether it would have details distorted, exaggerated, or even omitted, there is no such thing as the truth in the case of a "he said, she said". As most attorneys say, somewhere between each the accounts of the plaintiff and defendant is the truth.
Nevertheless, there will always be more than two sides to every story. And, with the advent of technology like YouTube and Twitter, the media outlets like MSNBC and Fox News, will continue to polarize this country with people who have little to no credentials whatsoever contribute to these networks. This nation may have freedom of the press but there is no freedom to spread lies and half-truths.
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What does this mean for the future of journalism. Can we never get at the truth - or even the best available version of the truth? Is it a fruitless venture?
ReplyDeleteI strongly agreed with your point about the polarizing effects of certain media outlets. Unfortunately, much of the media seems to take a lead from today's political pundits by trying to turn issues into a two sided affair. There's an old axiom that there's three sides to every story, the two conflicting sides, and then the truth. It's vital for democracy and the intellectual health of the nation that journalists try to illuminate that third side.
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