Finding the truth still the challenge

Thank you for your April 5 column by Jim Slusher, “Is this evidence of a political agenda?” The unrelenting distortion of facts that passes for news at some outlets makes it impossible to recognize the truth when it is displayed. And that is exactly the reason it persists. On the one hand, regular consumers of this propaganda become conditioned to automatically distrust anything from outside their political comfort zone. They become dependent on the very people who are misinforming them. On the other hand, editors such as yourself try to bend over backward to prove your impartiality, resulting in credibility for some of the outrageous claims. This also is intentional.

If Source A is lying (e.g. “Obama has raised taxes”), and Source B is telling the truth (“taxes have actually gone down”), the impartial ground is not halfway between them. A lie is a lie. But you don’t want to be called part of the “Lamestream Media,” so the temptation is to present both statements at face value and to rely on the reader to see the truth. But these readers will never be presented with the truth. Political discourse is reduced to name calling, and candidates are free to lie without ever being called on it.

Thanks again for the column. At least those reading it have been exposed to the concept of impartiality. What they choose to do with it is up to them.

Phil Heinz

Mount Prospect