truth... isn't it about time?

After our class discussion on what truth is and how a community needs "functional truth," the more I realize how important our "gatekeeper" role as journalist is. I for one want to know the truth, regardless of what consequences may follow. I would want to be able to make my own sound decisions based upon the facts and not off of some watered down part of the truth. Truth sets you free. In class we learned that this "functional truth" is required to help a community to do just that, to function. "Truthfulness creates, in effect, the sense of security that grows from awareness to news." The people have a right to know. If what is being reported is newsworthy and is something the community needs to know in order to function properly, than they have every right to have the truth. Now, I may sound contradictory, but there are some things that not everyone needs to know. When the truth isn't helping better the community, than that part of the truth does not need to be disclosed. Journalist first priority is to the truth, but they must also keep the public's best interest in mind. I'm being vague, but an example was given about a gay magazine that "outted" a local pastor who was anti-gay. Now, did this piece of truth need to be disclosed to the public? You tell me. I don't see where the community benefited from this little piece of information... and this priest's life was completely ruined. Yes, he should not have been such a hypocrite, but he was at a support group for gays wanting to stay chaste... can't blame the poor guy. Anyway... I feel truth is to be told in it's fulness, when it meets the public's best interest and when it benefits others.

In honor of the 4th of July... I'm going to talk about the three different journalism models starting with the Land of the Free. Here in America we are blessed to enjoy the freedom of the press. Our model is called the Liberal model. In this model, the state is not as involved as it is in other countries, allowing the press to be independent and to publish or air what the real story is. We can turn on the news or read the newspaper and actually have faith that what we are reading is in fact truth. This cannot always be said for other countries. The media always strives to be neutral and objective and tells both sides of the story... they are independent from political parties... or strive to be (although many may argue this is not always the case.) All in all, I'm glad I get to be a journalist in America where I won't have to watch what I write or have the government say that I cannot publish whatever I was working on. I feel this model is the closest and most accurate way of finding out the truth.

Next is the Polarized Pluralist Model, which is found predominately in Europe. Many Europeans believe it is impossible to be neutral and unbiased and so they don't try to be. They are more involved in parties which can have "sharply conflicting ideologies." This model also doesn't always see journalism as a profession. This model will make it harder to find out what really is true and what is just opinion.

The last model is called the Democratic Corporatist model. They are strongly influenced by the government. I always think of China and how severely they regulate what is said. Truth is dictated by what the state thinks or what they want to people to think. One of the girls in the class shared an experience about journalism in China. There was an accident and one of the chinese girls told the girl in my class that the fatalities were probably more than double what was printed. The media is not reliable at all for truth, which leaves the community in the dark.

So truth... isn't it about time? Shouldn't we as journalists try our hardest to always tell the truth.. the whole truth and nothing but the truth? The answer is yes.