Lauren Balser
Eng 112- 20W
March 16, 2018
Does the truth really matter?
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When contemplating if the truth actually matters lots of factors come into the equation; is it going to reach a vast majority of people, will it hurt people, how will the outcome of telling the truth have an impact on those affected by it. In the context of what we are discussing, reporting and the journalistic reach is a massive and important role. One article written by someone in Kentucky can reach millions of people all over the globe within a matter on minutes if not seconds. So if that is the reach one person might have why is it so common that the truth is not reported. Therefore many people seem to forget the reach they may have and fill the Internet, magazine and newspaper with false information to get a story out but the question is, is that the right thing to do?
While deciding that it may seem like such an obvious question, yes the truth matters and no people should not be writing stories just to fulfill the fact they have a piece due by a certain time. The truth seems like such a convenient thing to make people tell but at the end of the day it doesn’t sell. Fabricated stories are what sell, stories with wrong information and an exaggerated detail to make the reader believe what they are reading is what sells. It has been that way since the beginning of time and is seen in famous writings all throughout time, because in reality who really wants a bland story with only the exact details, not a single person.
While reading the article "As Fake News Spreads Lies, More Readers Shrug at the Truth" by Sabrina Tavernise, she begins to talk about a man named Larry Laughlin. The articles opens up talking about how he is reading an article by Marc Dice, ho is a known as a conservative commentator. In the article Tavernise also gives a little more background about Mr. Dice stating some of the things he is known for such as: saying that September 11th was an inside job, Jade Helm military exercise was a front for preparation for martial law. Since knowing Mr. Dice believes in these things and openly puts his views out there for people to know it calls into question if what he is reporting is factual. Yet despite knowing his background and the things he pushes for facts people still seem to be attracted to Mr. Dice’s commentary because he does “ sarcastic man-on-the-street interviews.” While speaking with Mr. Laughlin he makes a statement regarding Mr. Dice saying, “It’s like a hockey game. Everyone’s got their goons. Their goons are pushing our guys around, and it’s great to see our goons push back.”
Knowing what we know about Mr. Laughlin it is safe to say he is probably just an every day American, who enjoys reading about the news. Since it was stated that he enjoys reading and hearing Mr. Dice’s commentary that isn’t to say that there is a possibility that others do not enjoy Mr. Dice’s commentary. Which brings into the light all the fake news that has flooded the average American’s home. Yet, while many may believe some of the fake news articles that come out, vast majorities do not. The majority of those who do not believe outlandish stories are also in a predicament where they must be able to distinguish between a “news” story that is actually the news or someone’s personal opinion because when reading about something that is less factual and more opinion based then it will cause more confusion and lead to bigger problems. According to Michael Lynch a professor of philosophy at the Connecticut he says, “There are an alarming number of people who tend to be credulous and form beliefs based on the latest thing they’ve read, but that’s not the wider problem, the wider problem is fake news has the effect of getting people not to believe real things.” He also goes on to describe his way of thinking saying, “There’s no way for me to know what is objectively true, so we’ll stick to our guns and our own evidence. We’ll ignore the facts because nobody knows what’s really true anyway.” While reading this some may have to think to themselves is this how journalism and the news should really be read and taken with a grain of salt because you will never know what is true and what is written solely based on ones opinion.
While reading this article and deciding if the truth really matters the answer will always be a yes. The truth is what should be told and what should always be given to the world. The people should not be fed stories that take what others believe as fact and there should be a way to better monitor what is actually published. In conclusion, the truth will always matter but like Mr. Laughlin says, “Fake news is subjective, it depends on who’s defining it. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
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​Tavernise, Sabrina. “As Fake News Spreads Lies, More Readers Shrug at the Truth.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/us/fake-news-partisan-republican-democrat.html.