Propaganda, advertising, political spin, storytelling — fake news can take many shapes. It got its start a long time ago, and there’s no quick fix. The U.S. Declaration of Independence (Wikipedia) This article is adapted from keynote remarks that were to...
Dorothy’s adventures in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ offer more than fantasy for children. Like the wizard behind his curtain, politicians world-wide deal in deceit. A film poster for the 1955 re-release of The Wizard of Oz (1939) (Wikimedia Commons) Can a...
U.S. presidents have often twisted the truth. But Donald Trump has flooded the media with falsehoods in a unique challenge to democratic institutions. U.S. President Donald Trump outside the White House in Washington, 24 May 2019 (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Donald Trump,...
The world has changed dramatically since I was a cub reporter. But facts and truth should still matter in the world of journalism. The Associated Press newsroom in New York, September 1982 (AP Photo/Corporate Archives/G. Paul Burnett) The coronavirus lockdown...
Ethnic Albanians fleeing fighting presented a dilemma. It was distressing to hear their cries for help. But as a journalist, I was there to bear witness. Ethnic Albanian refugees arrive from Kosovo into Macedonia near Skopje, 29 March 1999 (EPA PHOTO/LOUISA...
In an age of polarized electorates, trust in the media is rock bottom. But good journalists adhere to principles that safeguard fairness and balance. Journalists protest silently in favor of press freedom in Hong Kong, 14 July 2019. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Good...
Donald Trump has disparaged African countries in no uncertain terms. Why, then, does he keep meeting Kenya’s leader in the White House? Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, Washington, DC, 27...
Thirty years ago, South Africa released famed political prisoner Nelson Mandela from prison. I covered the momentous story. Nelson Mandela with his wife Winnie Manela, two days after he was released from prison, in Soweto, South Africa, 13 February 1990 (EPA/STR)...
Coronavirus headlines are taking readers on a roller coaster of fear, hope and confusion. Here are tips for telling what’s true and what’s not. Medical staff check the temperature of passengers at Nanjing South Railway station in Nanjing, China, 27 January...
What’s more harmful to your health — sugar or fat? Is it most important to exercise? The answers can depend on who’s paying for “scientific” research. Cans of soda and bottled water in New York, 7 May 2018 (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) “I love...