When we first started talking about truth in Quest English 8 I was very confused and I have to admit, I don't understand it any more now. That's the thing though, I don't really think there is a definition for truth. It is something we will never know everything about. To know the truth, you would have to know every view and perspective, and you will never know everything.
I think there is a difference between "truth" as a noun, and "true" as an adjective. Something can be true without being the truth. One part may be true, but it can't be the truth unless you have all the information.
This is even harder as a journalist because people expect the truth. You have to work to get as close to the truth as possible, even if you will never get the whole story. One mistake can ruin the little truth that you have. You can not be firsthand at everything, so you have to rely on others which makes things even more complicated. Humans are not machines, and don't always tell you true information.
Some people really enjoy giving false information or putting it on the internet. That makes it a lot harder to get reliable information. You have to think a lot more about what sources you are getting information from. A lot of people don't know this and believe that everything they read is true which then spreads like wildfire. Then all of the sudden you have something like Macaulay Culkin dying for like the 4th time.
Quotes and reliable sources are good ways to avoid false information but still need to be checked. Writing reliable stories would be much easier if you knew that everything was true, but it's not. It just is another important layer to journalism.
Welcome back, Emma! I'm glad you're here!
ReplyDeleteI like the distinction you make between the noun and adjective form of truth and the different properties those definitions entail. You acknowledge the impossibility of truth, but you are realistic about the practical definitions journalists need to be able to do their jobs well.
You are totally right when you say that one mistake can ruin the credibility of an entire story. It's amazing to think that a person's whole career can hinge on the accuracy of a single story or the reliability of the people they choose to trust.
It's great that you can acknowledge the ambiguity of the truth and still come to a definition that can guide a journalist. That's not easy to do.
How you compared the adjective and the noun of the word truth was very interesting and i never thought of it in that type of way, very cool!! Also how you have to make sure you're getting the whole truth and not just part of the truth otherwise it isn't going to be giving the readers correct information. I agree with how some people like to put out false info onto the internet, I was going to do that today and say on twitter that we were going to be let out early to see how fast the news would travel through the school. I also agree with how getting quotes from people can help you figure out the truth
ReplyDeleteHow you compared the adjective and the noun of the word truth was very interesting and i never thought of it in that type of way, very cool!! Also how you have to make sure you're getting the whole truth and not just part of the truth otherwise it isn't going to be giving the readers correct information. I agree with how some people like to put out false info onto the internet, I was going to do that today and say on twitter that we were going to be let out early to see how fast the news would travel through the school. I also agree with how getting quotes from people can help you figure out the truth
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