During his interrogation of Jesus in the Bible, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate poses an interesting question. He asks, “What is truth?”
As a savvy politician, he knew that the perception of truth can often be manipulated.
Now, I realize I have already waded deep into the waters of two of the most delicate of subjects: religion and politics. So, rather than get in over my head, I will turn around and head for shore, avoiding direct references to both.
But this question of What is truth? is an interesting one, and one I wish to discuss. Is truth really relative?
Observers of current events would answer with an unequivocal YES!
It seems today that each person has their own view of what is truth—a view that is often based on the facts they want to hear. Many will twist those facts to get the outcome they desire, in the belief that the ends justify the means.
To quote one of my literary heroes, Mark Twain once wrote that, “What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” He knew that what one wants to believe is often truth to them—even if it “ain’t so.”
As a journalist for more than 40 years, I’m saddened to see that, for many people, truth is often an afterthought so long as their intended goal is achieved. However, our job as journalists is to tell the truth, whether we like that truth or not.
In an age of social media, we no longer have those trusted sources of truth we relied on in the past. At one time, CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite was regularly ranked as the most trusted man in America, scoring much higher than whoever was the sitting president. Could we say the same of the television and social media pundits who interpret the news today?
It pains me to see how trust in my profession has eroded, not to mention trust in our administrations, Congress, courts, and other institutions. We all tend to be cynics and unbelievers when it comes to what we are told. It’s understandable, considering that many public figures and celebrities regularly promote implausible claims as truth.
For me, truth and integrity are integral to what I believe as a person and as an editor. In this magazine, we will always strive to tell you the truth. We will not pander to our advertisers by making claims that are just not true. And when we make mistakes, we will admit to them.
Facts are truth. I simply want you to know that this is a trusted source of industry information written by like-minded business professionals—ones who value truth above all else.
