Poynter on the Record

Where will people turn to get solid information about upcoming elections?

Television advertisements and radio talk shows have turned up the decibel level on discussions about the best candidates, and it's becoming more difficult for people to find good information about whom to vote for.

Journalism educator Roy Peter Clark said it this way last week: "The truth is being distored from all corners, and Americans don't see it, or if they do, too many don't seem to care."

Clark, a senior scholar at the Poynter Institute journalism think tank in St. Petersburg, Fla., appeared last week on an "Oprah Winfrey Show" about "Truth in America." It did our heart good to see that the popular talk-show host presented a newspaper expert like Clark. Despite ubiquitous criticisms of the media, newspapers remain the best source of reliable information, especially for the careful voter, and it seems appropriate for a journalist to address the subject of truth.
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