What is Truth in Journalism?

In Comms 239 this week we talked about journalists gathering and reporting truth, and how vital truth is for our society to function. Just as Confucius said that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," I can also say that truth is in the eye of the beholder. Every person has a different perception of the world. We all have had different experiences and backgrounds that automatically create biases and opinions. Every journalists try very hard to rid themselves of these fallacies, but I believe that their biases still present themselves nonetheless. Interestingly in Canada, there is a law against lying on the news http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/a-law-against-lying-on-the-news . Because of our constitution, this would be not be a likely law in the U.S., but even if it did become a law, it would be a hard law to enforce.

Journalism's main goal in society should be to bring about change for the betterment of everybody. One example is in Upton Sinclair's book "The Jungle." Because of what he wrote he brought about the Meat Inspection Act, and the Pure Drug and Food Act of 1906. Recent works like "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser, have brought about even more changes and improvements in the meat packing industry. Here is an example of how clean McDonalds' meat processing plant has become. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HPnULHzJVc&NR=1

It is such a shame that in many countries the truth is withheld from the public; and that the government intervenes and controls what people can and cannot see. One example of withholding truth exists in China where local tobacco and cigarette companies sponsor schools and in many situations have slogans on the playgrounds promoting their product. Read more about this issue at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8779180/Chinese-primary-schools-sponsored-by-tobacco-firms.html. 

Truth is important. We all have a right to know the truth. It is up to the journalists to give it and present it in an honest manner.