Eight Dimensions of Truth & Journalism

I AM GOING TO SPEAK TODAY AS A PARTICIPANT in the Christian tradition and as one deeply committed to the public, secular purpose of our common profession – our common calling in life - journalism.

In my almost constant travels and interactions with journalists of different nationalities, I've learned of various techniques and approaches to overcoming the challenges resisting those who try to be truth-seeking, honest, independent, and humble. The world around, journalists put tremendous energy into being fair and balanced professionals, and serving their societies by building transparency and openness. These are the sort of behaviors that almost any journalist anywhere would recognize and endorse.

Yet as Christians, it is also appropriate and necessary to draw from a deeper source of understanding in the Bible to develop our vocation and ethical approach to journalism. So I would like to offer eight reflections (and critical questions) that should constantly shape our professional standards and practices in light of our pursuit of Truth in an increasingly relativistic and postmodern world.

And to do so, I must begin with the source of meaning himself.

1. GOD IS THE SUPREME COMMUNICATOR

The God of the Bible is clearly the God who communicates with the human being.

As Johannes Henrici points out: ‘Communication is deeply rooted in God’s nature and it is this nature he imparted to humanity when he created us in his own image.”‘ Communication is a God-given capability given to the created human being and is “the only way to be fully human.” In principle, to be a human is to be a communicator. And communication – the ability to express oneself – remains God’s gift to humanity.

This basic understanding of communication as a result of God’s creating act in history deepens the understanding of God’s own deep desire for relationship with his created beings. Communication with Man is a deep desire in the heart of the Almighty God. His interaction with Man throughout history as reported in the Bible is a challenge for every Christian. Hearing the Good News, living by it and witnessing to it, is the basic calling to all Christians.

The reformer Martin Luther underlines this fundamental link between creation and communication. He claims that to be created in God’s image has to do with relationship and communication. That means I am created for dialogue. God’s communication with me takes the form of a conversation.

This is the basic theme in all of Scripture: God is continually seeking man out to talk with him, from the story of Eden until the proclamation of the new heavens and the new earth. In the same way the concept of covenant is based on two-way communication.”

The Incarnation points out that God moves into the receptor’s frame of reference, i.e., taking on culture, language, space, time, etc., really to try to be understood. He goes beyond the predictable and the stereotype in his communicative efforts. He uses the language and thought patterns of those with whom He speaks.

Jesus being described as "the Word" of God helps us understand that the most fundamental, and precious content ever to be communicated and re-formulated again and again is God’s plan for redemption of Man. Our challenge is to have a deep and intimate understanding of this fundamental Truth – and to be stewards of this Truth in all aspects of our lives.

So, as journalists, we are commissioned to be seekers and communicators of TRUTH. John 8:32, where Jesus says to those Jews who believed in him, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” His words are linked to verse 36, where Jesus continues, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

I believe that there is indeed such a thing as Truth, and that it can be found and known. And it can, therefore, be defended. And, I am convinced that there is an inherent liberating power in truth that sets us free– free both as journalists (freedom of the press); and free as Christian believers (freedom of religion); and free as believers in Jesus Christ (spiritual freedom).

2. THE DEMISE OF TRUTH

But this postmodern world, like Pontius Pilate, questions whether truth indeed exists, and if it does, whether it can be known, defended and followed. “What is truth,” Pilate asked.

The postmodern world says Truth, like God, is dead. Postmodern philosophy rejects all claims of objective truth. Lying is impossible since it presupposes objective reality, and there is none.

This is Darwinian philosophy gone to seed, reaping a twisted, mutant ethics that conceives of humans as merely intelligent beasts who cannot be held accountable for their actions. If moral standards have disappeared, then who’s to judge?

No truth. No culpability. No lies. No crime.

But opposing the postmodern construct of the Demise of Truth is the biblical and traditional value of truth and journalism. As journalists who are Christian, we believe that lying and dishonesty are part of humanity’s sinful nature. We believe that the human heart is deceitful. As the prophet Jeremiah put it, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). That’s the bad news. And very regularly, it is the daily news: Sex, lies, murders, theft, fraud.

But please think for a minute about this: The good news is that, if there is dishonesty and wickedness, then the mirror opposite is honesty and righteousness. If there are lies, there is truth. The Bible teaches it, and traditionally, journalists have tended to believe this. As Georges Braque once noted: “Truth exists; falsehood has to be invented.”

We do not need to “protect” the image of those we write about–if we are careful to be as consistently fair as we can in portraying them. And it’s worth taking the extra time, thought, prayer and research needed to bring out that truth, that believability, whether your subject matter is simple and straightforward, or whether it’s complex and subtle.

4. DECEPTION AND FABRICATION

With a constructed world deception and duplicity comes far too easy. And they can even deteriorate to fraud and fabrication. The postmodern world says … If there is truth then it is relative, and it doesn’t matter a lot if you don’t get the facts quite right.

Hopefully, no Christian journalist would resort to outright deception or crime and try to sell a lie. But it’s easy to take “shortcuts,” to make up a quote here or there, to invent a situation, to conveniently forget to give attribution or that you promised a source to keep a remark off the record.

Part of what we Christians who are journalists need to pledge to ourselves, our readers, and to the God of truth whom we serve, is to dig, to do our homework, and to keep our promises. I believe there’s a great hunger these days for both truth and for people of promise.

But there is another side to deception and fabrication, and it, too, is an issue of integrity for Christians who are journalists. It also relates to double standards. Some organizations and individuals are responsive only when the glare of public light is thrown upon their activities. And sometimes they respond only when public pressure is brought to bear.

The secular media has a special role in holding up the mirror to what in the world is going on. And sometimes that task means pointing out that the emperor has on no clothes.

There’s a biblical mandate, in my opinion, for investigative journalism. Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.” Sometimes we are the instruments God uses to bring works into judgment.

We are called to dig beneath the “for-public-consumption” PR to the real behind-the-scenes facts; the real beliefs, the real figures and statistics. Don’t uncritically accept anyone’s handout, crowd count, membership figures, or financial statement. (Even if there’s an honest mistake, it’s a falsehood nonetheless!) If we are not to deceive the public by bearing false witness, neither should we let the organizations and persons we write about.

“For God shall bring every work into judgment,” the preacher in Ecclesiastes said … “The truth shall make you free,” Jesus told his disciples. Freedom of the press to report the Truth ultimately keeps men and women free to practice their religious faith.

In sum, do your homework. Demythologize. And keep your promises.

5. SPINNING & HYPING THE FACTS

Doctoring – or ‘tampering’ with facts – otherwise known as spin, and hype. And sometimes, in a postmodern era of “no truth, no guilt, no shame,” it also involves Arrogance.

When spin doctoring is done by our sources people and groups we report on, we need to apply anti- or reverse-spin to catch the truth in slow motion — even freeze-framing the sleight-of-hand artist the act. Otherwise, we’ll spin out onto the soft shoulders of hype and hoax.

But the other side-of spin doctoring is taking scrupulous care that we ourselves are not doing the spinning. The temptation is to boost the story’s “gee whiz” factor. Or enhance or own “hippness quotient” as a zippy, “with-it” journalist who brings “attitude” and “voice” to his or her work. Resist that!

Have you ever bent information, shaped the facts, ventured just a little beyond what you knew was fair, in order to “heighten” the story? To maybe get it on Page One instead of somewhere “inside”? Or maybe, even, to bolster the copy enough to just get it into the publication or on air?

As Christians who are journalists … adhering to truth and traditional values also means saying we’re sorry when we make a mistake (something the TV News hates to admit), asking forgiveness when it is appropriate, and correcting errors. It means walking humbly (and modestly) with our sources, our colleagues, our superiors, our readers, and ultimately, with our God.

6. “DEAL MAKING” AND COMPROMISE

What’s “deal making”? Well, there is that unpleasant tension of printing the truth and displeasing influential people. Sometimes it is people in your own newsroom who are displeased. And the postmodern world just says … bend for the bottom line.

At the same time, the business side, which is suffering pressure on its own values, has begun dismantling that supposedly sacred and impregnable wall between the advertising department and the newsroom.

Ever had someone promise a “deal” in exchange for something? It may be subtle, nothing overt … From a paid trip to Moscow or Israel or Hawaii … to more coercive: promising to buy ads (or threatening to pull out ads). Do you cave? Do you compromise? Deal?

Stick to true values. It may take daring. It certainly will take courage and integrity. But, you might be asking, “Is there ever a time to compromise - to soften your stance - especially when reporting the frailties of humanity?"

In my opinion, you must very carefully and prayerfully weigh the consequences, in so far as you are likely to be able to predict them, of a particular story or coverage. There may indeed be times, it seems to me, when the privacy of individuals does override the public’s need to know.

When is that?

In the postmodern era when truth is a matter of perception – and often in politics, especially – standards and values of journalism are constantly reshaped and cut down to size to reflect the contemporary realities as the media gatekeepers see them — or would like to see them. And in the name of “tolerance,” traditional standards are dumbed down and “deselected.”

"Let’s keep religion private," the argument goes. "And let's especially keep the Christian perspective on current issues private". The postmodern world says, “Don’t talk about abortion in church–it’s a political issue. Don’t talk about abortion in politics–it’s a religious issue.” “But,” says Margaret Talbot in the New Republic, “a functional democracy depends upon people who are willing to think rigorously, articulate their position, and carry on a dialogue with those who have opposing views. Many complex problems defy easy answers. “To simply be nonjudgmental is tantamount to surrendering reason when facing difficult issues,” Talbot concluded.

As Christians who are journalists, we say that a commitment to truth means telling “the whole truth, so help us, God.” Rigor is required to do this, as well as paying to content, context, balance and clear communication. But can Christians who are journalists really tell the whole truth? Readers complain that we are too selective, that we focus on only the titillating parts and ignore the “larger” story.

Of course we have to be selective in what we write and what we leave out. Anything less than a full-length book simply does not provide enough space to tell everything. Even then, referring to the Bible, the final chapter of John’s Gospel (21:25) tells us that “There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they should be written every one , even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.”

But Christians who are journalists must beware dumbing down. Choose carefully what you write and what you leave out. Clarify the complex. Communicate clearly, with context and balance. And speak the truth–in love.

The final plank in our platform exploring the state of truth and journalism is distrust. The postmodern world distrusts religious people – especially conservatives, who of course tend to distrust postmodernism. And because of this implicit distrust, stories that are worthy of coverage–and are based on solid events and facts–are missed or dismissed.

Truth can be passed over because it is too nuanced for “dumbed-down” stories. It can be denied out of prejudice and malevolent intent. And it can be missed out of the sheer inability to see or perceive it.

I believe this latter point describes the edge a Christian who is a journalist has over the reporter who does not have the eye of spiritual discernment and therefore does not see what in the world God is doing. There is the Truth (with a Capital “T”) that can be seen by those who have the eyes of faith to perceive it. My firm trust in writing the truth is based upon my conviction that God is sovereign.

I assert that the Gospel can stand scrutiny, and withstand the double standards, the deception, the doctoring, the dealing, the dumbing down and the distrust that a postmodern culture hurls at it.  We can expect no less of the journalists who claim to represent that Gospel.