The sources of an ever expanding media to 24/7 does not necessarily mean a better informed electorate. With so many accusations, assertions, and assumptions flying around the internet it is difficult to ascertain truth from fiction. Gone are the days of adversarial parlance that shed light and evoked a reasonable discussion of the issues. Instead, it is the quick pace of life that has the digital journalists looking for the sound bite, the gaffe, the titillating bit of gossip to increase readership. The real irony is that most will not read, but merely glance. The reporting of this election is becoming a study in campaign signs, strategically placed, seen at a distance, and retained in short term memory for a matter of seconds. The intent is that when viewed repetitively, they may become a truth known only to the subconscious and remembered in the voting booth.
Flagrant violations of journalism occur daily on the internet by both political parties. Gone are Woodward and Bernstein’s rule of 3 for verification. The search is on for any tidbit that can capture the attention of the internet search engines. No matter how outrageous, no matter how irrelevant. What then is a voter to do when faced with this onslaught of “news.”
Number 1 is to ask what you are looking for. Are you looking for someone who will agree with your viewpoint? Do you need reassurance to vote your political conscience or bias? Do you feel frustrated and need to vent? Are you looking for entertainment, and like other “…inquiring minds want to know.”? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, then you aren’t seriously looking for truth.
Number 2 is to look at the credentials of the author. Do they have credibility or experience in the field that they write about? If so, is that background reflected in their posts? If not, then you aren’t seriously looking for the truth.
But As For Me…
Although it can be argued that “truth” can be elusive, it is not an impossible maxim to attain. The real truth cannot be found in extremes, but requires deliberate thought and balance. It is not the property of any one candidate, any one party, or any one web site. When you go to the polls on Tuesday, deliberate and ferret out the truth from the bombardment of political advertisements, the political forums, the sound bites; from the perceptions, endorsements, and tabloid headlines, be truthful and vote the truth as you know it as a responsible citizen of this nation making one of the most important decisions for your life and the generations to come!
