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I think it was Winston Churchill who said, "The lie gets halfway around
the world before the truth can get its pants on." That's a pretty
marvelous observation, and remember, he lived before we entered the
information age such as we now know it. He would have been appalled at
the vulnerability of the real state of things (one definition of truth)
at the hands of contemporary consciousness and technology. The thing
that has made today's environment so challenging for high profile
people (and presidents) is the velocity with which the lie can
travel, the sheer volume of data on the run, the changes in the
awareness of the average person, and finally, the cynicism and
competition associated with news dissemination and consumption.
Take all the ways we now have of accessing news: add spin-doctoring, the
press, the pollsters, a litigious atmosphere, and an almost instantaneous broadcasting of events, and it's small wonder that to grab the competitive edge, you've got to be
first. The media-bird that gets the worm these days has to have
reflexes and resources sharper than his or her press badge to file the story
first. If that is the case, the scramble for the scoop will inevitably relax the scruples that guarantee legitimacy of sources. Cultural shifting has altered expectations and the tempo and assumptive base of the times. The environment is characterized by shortened news cycles, story shelf life, and short attention spans. People begin to take other
than the old givens for granted. That is essentially what makes one
era different from another. And that is the way it is.
"But the truth will prevail . . ."
Even if it does get its pants on, there aren't too many people really
looking for it, at least among those who are supposed to be digging for
it.
Perhaps then, in time, it will prevail . . .
Ahh yes, in time, in the fullness of time, the impeccably dressed
truth will reveal itself . . . and we won't recognize it.
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