The Truth Hurts

One of the reasons journalists grapple with the concept of truth is that they are never entirely sure what kind of truth they are dealing with, according to communications scholar John C. Merrill. Most daily reporting can’t aim for anything but a very low level of truth. Given a pressing deadline and a propensity to take most people at their word, reporters are usually content with presenting a variety of opinions on a subject, hoping that the truth might make an appearance in one or more of the comments. Those who have the luxury of two or three days on a story can attempt to find more facts and test some of the comments, reaching a slightly higher level of truth. And those who engage in long-term investigative journalism can go much further still. Merrill posits a useful concept called a ladder of truth. At the top he places “Truth with a Capital T,” something never entirely attainable. Beneath it is potential truth, or the complete truth theoretically available to the...