The Ambiguity of Truth

Before the days of 24-hour news channels, "the most trusted man in America" was a welcome visitor in the homes of my childhood. Walter Cronkite died on July 19 at the age of 92. I can remember hearing my parents marvel at his ability to keep is personal opinions out of his coverage of the issues of the day. To the best of my knowledge, he never confused reporting with editorializing. Cronkite valued truth. He just reported and allowed us to decide.

Life was so much simpler in those days. It took only 30 minutes to wrap up the daily news. If you didn't want to watch Cronkite, you could opt for the Huntley-Brinkley Report or Harry K. Smith. How did we ever survive before the days of cable news and digital media? Oh, how the talking heads have changed since then. Instead of choosing between four old white guys, today's options include photogenic men and women of every ethnicity. I love getting up in the morning with Fox and Friends. It has this name because the formula of the program is one fox with her two friends.

Ironically, 24-hour news cycles and instant access to newspapers across the globe have made it much more difficult to find truth. Is there such a thing as unbiased reporting? If we are honest, most of us tend to choose information sources that are aligned with our own personal biases. Do we just want a version of the truth consistent with those biases? I really think we must wrestle with this question.

What is the truth about death counseling and bureaucrats deciding on the health care you should get? Have there really been swastikas at town hall meetings? Unfortunately, it is up to each of us to mine for truth and most will find it not worth the effort. It is much easier to demonize those with whom we disagree and latch on to those who validate our presuppositions.

At least, that's how I do it.