By Frances Stebbins, Correspondent
[This is a memory from the many decades the author has been privileged to write for daily and weekly newspapers circulating in Western Virginia.]
Although no communicator of news can ever be totally objective, in this age of so many ways to convey it, a few checks on its accuracy are possible.
Leonard Pitts Jr., an award-winning columnist whose analyses are carried in “The Roanoke Times,” drew a full house and a standing ovation when he spoke on Election Night at Roanoke College.
“Think Again: How to Survive the Misinformation Crisis With Your Brain Intact” was his theme.
Years ago, when on his retirement, I interviewed the late Episcopal Bishop William H. Marmion he said, “Consider the source!”
Like the columnist, the bishop had lived through his share of controversy in the 1950s years of civil rights upheavals in the church he served.
Pitts’ hour-long address on trying to get to the truth these days focused on what he – and I – know best: writing a newspaper account of an event.
He’s the author of a new book,” The Last Thing You Surrender.”
The speaker, who has been at his craft for 43 years, said being careless with facts – especially deliberately – endangers one of America’s most cherished freedoms. He said that’s more serious for the nation’s future than COVID-19.
Pitts is a witty man. He began his talk to illustrate assumptions by relating a mistake he once made of diving into a “Ladies Rest Room” without checking the male equivalent beside it. So, people, if of a certain political or religious group, assume, without examining details, that a possible solution must be right.
The speaker suggested that such assumptions today govern people’s views on controversies like climate change, trust in local, state and especially, national government. Being Black, Pitts also reflected his own experiences on race; discrimination has once again been thrust upon public consciousness in the past two years with numerous instances of brutality from white law enforcement personnel against minority groups.
In regard to global warming and the anxiety it produces, the speaker noted that a few scientists and professors had been aware of it since at least 1959 when “The Silent Spring,” a book by Rachel Carson, came out. Denial on the part of government leaders who might have started taking steps to combat the damage from fossil fuels was the result, Pitts asserted.
More recently, a young Scandinavian woman, Greta Thunberg, has stirred awareness among her generation resulting in possible needed action, Pitts noted. He used this illustration to point out what he regards as serious contributors to the political polarization currently affecting the nation. He cited these as:
- Distrust of authority which has been developing at least as far back as the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam conflict of more than 50 years ago.
- The influence of the internet and social media which allows people to express feelings, spread misinformation and demand action without dealing with the consequences face-to-face.
- Journalistic cowardice defined by the veteran columnist as failure to present the facts on both sides of a controversy. He noted that certain publications are seen as “liberal” or “conservative,” and those responsible for the placement of stories or offering opinion on the Editorial Page will reflect a certain bias. About the best that can be done is to offer facts on both sides and trust the reader to see the complexity.
- Misinformation of students which has led to more bitterness by stirring up regional differences long buried such as how the American Civil War is treated in history books and the “Critical Race Theory.” The latter phrase, Pitts noted, has become a political symbol of parental dissatisfaction with their children’s public schools.
{In days after the Virginia election, some political analysts attributed the defeat of the Democrat candidate for governor to a chance remark he made on this issue.}
To combat some of the “misinformation crisis,” as Pitt calls it, he suggested.
- Face the crisis
- Question the source
- Verify {Both NAACP and NRA start with the same letter}
- Question those who are sure they are right
- Expect a price for lies. {Reputable news sources will run Corrections]
- Social media are not news sources so should not be quoted
- Let teachers teach
- Demand accuracy and support sources that do not lie {Even as a former President was known to have done.}
In other words, “Think again!”