Truthiness

As a journalist, I fault myself for my nagging cynicism when it comes to upholding "the Golden Standard of Ethics to Journalize with Great Distinction and Create the Truth and Maybe Even Get a Medal from MU for It."

Generally, when I hear vaulted talk about reporting only the Truth in the perfect way, I don't buy it for a few reasons.

First, what is the Truth, exactly? It's different for everyone.

Second, how can anyone possibly ignore that a stranger has invaded the room (or his camera is) and that his camera is filming everything they do so it can be broadcast for the world to see?

I would argue that broadcast journalists cannot create an entirely natural environment because as a final product broadcast journalism is itself an inherent unnatural activity. You have this complicated machine, which you follow people around with trying to document their actions for publication on another complicated machine after you chop it up, move it around, and narrate it. Doesn't sound like a natural process to me.

Yeah, it would be nice if journalists could seek Truth and report it (if we even know what it was). On a philosophical level, Truth doesn't exist. On a practical level, a journalist looks a whole lot bigger than a fly when he hugs the proverbial wall.

P.S. That doesn't mean I tell people to do things to get my stories.