The truth matters

By Nancy Black

One person says it is windy and raining outside. Another says it is sunny and dry. As a journalist, what do you do? You look out the window and see for yourself. Another favorite journalism saying of mine is, “There are three sides to every story: yours, mine and the truth.”

Journalism is an acquired skill. It requires years of education, not just access to a social media account. Professional journalists study laws and ethics. We know the difference between slander and libel. And we know the importance of writing a well-balanced story that offers confirmed facts about whatever situation is being covered.

The state of journalism in the United States is under attack. Respected news organizations who report on the facts of stories that affect our nation are being vilified. If this frightening trend continues, “freedom of the press” will no longer exist.

Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of the Voice of America (VOA). “Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital. 

I beg to differ. VOA is fair and balanced. Trump may not like what he is hearing, but what VOA is reporting is the truth. When you silence the truth, everyone is left living in a lie.

Created in 1942, VOA “has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth,” according to its website. “Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press.”

The 1994 U.S. International Broadcasting Act created an essential guarantee for journalistic credibility of Voice of America content, which Trump is now ignoring. It’s called a firewall. “The firewall prohibits interference by any U.S. government official in the objective, independent reporting of news, thereby safeguarding the ability of our journalists to develop content that reflects the highest professional standards of journalism, free of political interference.”

It sure doesn’t seem like VOA is “free of political interference now.” With Trump’s “end VOA” order, our country — and the world — is now one step closer to being controlled by media outlets who are absolutely biased with their reporting. We already have social media platforms who no longer fact-check posts. The billionaires who own them do not care about truth or fiction. They care about their own pocketbooks. They aren’t out to find the truth. They thrive on creating chaos and confusion while raking in the big bucks. 

More than 400 million people from around the globe depended on the VOA to inform them about world events. VOA helped to combat propaganda from other nations. And our military service members listened to VOA to learn about events happening at home while they were on deployment.

Silencing members of the press — or entire media organizations — will not stop free speech. But it will make it more difficult for the average American to hear the truth about any given situation. Trust me, dedicated journalists will not give up investigating and reporting on national and world affairs. But accessing that information will be more challenging. 

So, remember, if someone tells you it’s raining, look out the window before you believe them.