Truth in Journalism

Upton Sinclair is one of the best and most vile examples of exposing truth to the public by writing the book “The Jungle.” He gave meat packing plants a good reason to clean up , because not only did he tell the nation what was going on behind closed doors with the meat they ate, but it brought in government intervention. Fortunately, today we have the FDA which applies regulations to what companies can and can’t do with what we consume. His journalistic side demanded the truth be told and he was obliged to it and that is the first principle of journalism (http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles).

Sinclair was one of many examples on how to reveal truth. He was a muckraker, or acted as a watchdog, that brought light to an area not yet known to the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muckraker). He was able to go in and investigate behind the scenes and later write about his experience. He had people to verify what he wrote, which made his words credible. That brings me to another point behind truth in journalism: verification. With journalism, your work has to be backed up by credible sources, because if not people find it hard to believe. That could be a reason why Wikipedia can’t always be trusted. Anyone can go in and edit an article, which makes it hard to trust it one hundred percent (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2005-12-06-wikipedia-truth_x.htm). Luckily, we as seekers of truth demand facts, so Wikipedia editors have been more gracious by posting references on the articles they edit. But don’t settle on one website, check several and compare them to see if the information they provide all align with each other. Remember, we have a right to hear the truth, so stand up and be a voice for your community.