Truth in Journalism

Truth is the essence of journalism. As journalists, we are truth seekers! And as far as the truth goes, there are two tests to make sure we are honest. First, the facts need to be straight. We cannot fabricate truths, and we should not omit facts that are necessary for understanding the complete truth. Second, we need to make sense of the facts. A journalist should state the truth clearly enough that it cannot be misunderstood. The delivery needs to be clear and honest. Sometimes a journalist will claim to be truthful when they are really intending the message to serve another purpose, or to persuade viewers to think a certain way. This is journalism bias. Bias comes in many forms (religious, political, advertising, corporate, racial, etc.). Check out this LINK to a video that explains media bias. It's a project done by some journalism students ... and it has some interesting insights.