Lying: It's What They Do
Journalists Must Become More Skeptical About Leaders' Lies
I have four rules for journalists:
Be Curious
Be Skeptical
Be Accurate
Be Objective
One of the primary reasons that being ‘skeptical’ is #2 on my list is because many of the people journalists interview lie. I learned through years of being an investigative journalist that many leaders in politics, business, and academia lie because they want to ‘stay in power’ and ‘get more power.’
Remember this saying from Lord Acton — ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ (Acton Institute)
Students of history will recognize that this is true. A study of history shows that almost every civilization had leaders who lied to get and hold on to power. I read something in the Bible that supported that —
“An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” Jeremiah 5:30-31
The phrase “And My people love to have it so” caught my attention. It wasn’t just that national and local leaders lied to the people — the people actually loved the lies. Why? Because the lies of the leaders fit the people’s personal desires for safety and prosperity even though God had told His true prophets that the people would not be safe and would not prosper because of their disobedience to Him.
So, what can journalists learn from this? BE SKEPTICAL! Don’t trust the words of leaders or the people they lead until you have investigated the evidence which will either support or not support the claims of leadership. Remember the primary job of being a journalist? Uncover the truth, confirm the truth, report the truth. Simple, but powerful.
Another important lesson for journalists to learn is that uncovering, confirming, and reporting the truth does not mean people will believe the truth. Many people will choose to believe the lies leaders tell them because it fits their personal beliefs and agendas. That’s a tough lesson for honest journalists to learn and accept, but it’s necessary for a ‘free press.’
The number of lies told by people in positions of power and influence in a single day is astounding. Unfortunately, many journalists have joined in the lying. Watching newscasts and reading news articles online often lead me to a variety of emotions as someone who spent decades in news and mass communications.
Why do some journalists prefer to repeat the lies of leaders rather than question them? Why do many journalists lack a sense of curiosity and skepticism when talking with people in positions of power? Why don’t they ask tough follow-up questions? Why don’t they challenge leaders to provide evidence to support their claims? Why don’t journalists call out leaders who lie and provide the evidence that shows they lied? Why?
Whatever the reason — journalists need to rethink why they’re in the business of covering and reporting the truthfulness of news and information. Be skeptical. Ask tough questions. Look behind the claims of leaders and discover the truth. Will that make you popular with lying leaders? No. It will not. However, if what you want is to be popular with leaders I recommend you choose another profession.
Comments and Questions Welcome
I hope these thoughts are helpful to you. Please share your comments and questions and I will respond as quickly as I can. If you like what we’re doing in this newsletter, please let your friends know about it so they can subscribe.
Newsletter Purpose
The purpose of this newsletter is to help people who work in the fields of journalism, media, and communications find ways to do their jobs that are personally fulfilling and helpful to others. I also want to help news consumers know how to find news sources they can trust.
[The Real Journalism Newsletter is published every other Tuesday morning — unless there’s ‘breaking news!]
A great majority of journalists lie because they are at heart cowards. Acceptance in their community keeps them comfortable, happy, and the money coming in.
Telling the truth would require a degree of self sacrifice that they are unwilling to accept.
They do not want to be free, but slaves to false narratives that gained them acceptance and power.
It’s the same story through all of human history. Maybe worse now in our mass media age.