Kellyanne Conway, a counselor for President Donald Trump, stole headlines Sunday when she used the term “alternative facts” to describe inaccuracies from a White House press conference during the weekend.
Although the information in question dealt with an inconsequential topic — the crowd size at Trump’s inauguration — many found Conway’s comments to be alarming. The phrase “alternative facts” implies that information can be purposely misrepresented or falsified in an effort to support a specific viewpoint.
In an age where fake news dominates social media and societal conversation, it is more important than ever for journalistic organizations to strive for integrity and public trust.
Journalism exists as a way for citizens to receive information that helps them make the best decisions in their daily lives. Whether the topic is politics or sports, reporters are encouraged to approach coverage in an unbiased and forthright manner. In addition, editors are responsible for a rigorous fact-checking process and thoroughly vetting sources.
It is easy to understand why some are wary of news outlets following a declaration by Trump of a “running war” with the media. But journalism continues to serve an integral societal function, ranging from political reporting on a national scale to local coverage of the neighborhood school district.
As student journalists at the University of Idaho, our responsibility is to supply our campus and the Moscow community with newsworthy information that is applicable and accurate. We do our best to provide honest reporting on topics that are important to readers of every race, religion and sexual orientation.
Throughout the years, our staff members have tackled some of the toughest issues on the Palouse. Sometimes that meant interviewing people we may not have agreed with, or writing about topics that made us feel uncomfortable. But our organization felt the information in those articles was more important than the way we felt about the subject.
Because we are students, we might make the occasional mistake in our work. But part of our job is to identify these errors whenever possible while being completely transparent in the process.
Although current headlines may be dominated by “fake news,” student journalists at The Argonaut will continue a tradition more than 100 years in the making — truthfulness and honesty in every facet of our work.
—JG