Seeking Veritas in the Media Age
By Catherine Becker
The Dominican motto Veritas—truth—permeates the Dominican pillars of community, preaching, prayer, and study. We reveal truth as we build relationships. We speak truth as we preach. We pray for wisdom and truth to be revealed. And our exploration of many varied subjects is a search for truth. But in our contemporary society, much like in Dominic’s tumultuous time, truth can be hard to discern. Our media-saturated lives can make us feel like fish swimming in the water looking for the ocean. We just don’t know that we are surrounded by biased media because we are living within the bubble of biased media.
Truth means many things to many people. But to the Catholic Christian it means everything! Jesus is Truth. He doesn’t simply tell the truth, and he doesn’t only reveal the truth. He IS Truth. He says it directly with no hesitation or ambiguity: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. (John 14:6). When we say Jesus is the truth we are using “truth” not just as an adjective to describe him like “the apple is red” but as a verb which gives Jesus identity, movement and trajectory, and urgency. It tells us who he is to his core and it means we have the perfect litmus test with which to evaluate the media reports we encounter on our screens and in print. Jesus’ truth embodies faithfulness, integrity, goodness. It is real, meaning it is reality itself; unchangeable, holy and life giving. Jesus’ truth is love.
Jesus’ truth as the test for truth in a media report, world event, or local news may seem a simple assessment. Is the event or issue good? Real? Faithful? Does it embody integrity? Does it have a sense of holiness? Does it contribute to the common good, love of neighbor, preferential option for the poor, care of creation? These questions make it easy to evaluate a situation when the choice is between something clearly wrong and clearly right. But often we are choosing between two more ambiguous positions. Then what?
Dealing with “fake news”
What if media reports are skewed or only half-truths? Or what if the report is a good report but we are told by opposing parties that it is “fake news”? What if the accusation of “fake news” is actually the fake news?! How far down the rabbit hole can we go?! How can we possibly apply Jesus’ Truth assessment to the issues when we can’t get to the heart of the matter?
This is when becoming media literate is essential. We need to become savvy consumers of media and understand the reality of media bias. All media is biased. Every media message was created by someone, for some purpose, with a particular point of view. Even this publication is biased. Just Words has a very particular platform and message.
Media literacy includes knowing how to spot some of the common media biases and techniques used to spread misinformation. Being able to identify the tricks can be a useful tool to help you curate what media outlets you choose and how to filter the news in light of Jesus’ Truth. Professionals have identified as many as 16 types of media bias. Here are some of the most common:
SPIN is used when the language is dramatic, vague, and emotional. The report strays from verifiable fact and the use of imprecise modifiers clouds the truth.
UNSUBSTANTIATED CLAIMS can be identified when the report gives no statistics, evidence, or fact to back up the information.
OPINION AS FACT is being used when it is hard to tell what is truth and what is opinion. The report may use subjective modifiers instead of observable modifiers.
SLANT is employed when the report employs only specific voices or points of view. Some points of view will be omitted in order to direct the viewer’s perception.
PHOTO OR IMAGE BIAS is used most powerfully when a particular image, which may have nothing to do with the event being reported, is used to evoke an emotion or viewpoint in connection with the story.
(https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/how-to-spot-types-of-media-bias accessed 8/31/2-24)
Becoming media literate
Media literacy is the ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they're sending. (We) take in a huge amount of information from a wide array of sources, far beyond the traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines)…There are text messages, memes, viral videos, social media, video games, advertising, and more. But all media shares one thing: Someone created it. And it was created for a reason. Understanding that reason is the basis of media literacy. (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important accessed 8/30/24)
Being media literate means we start asking critical questions in our search for truth as we consume media. Try using these questions to analyze the media you consume to see if it passes the Jesus Truth Test:
Who created this? Why did they make it? Was it to inform you of something that happened in the world (for example, a news story)? Was it to change your mind or behavior (opinion)?
Who is the message for? Was it for a specific group, age, gender, or party?
What techniques are being used to make this message credible or believable? Does it have statistics from a reputable source? Does it contain quotes from a reliable subject expert? Is there direct evidence of the assertions it’s making?
What details were left out, and why? Is the information balanced with different views—or does it present only one side? Do you need more information to fully understand the message?
How did the message make you feel?
(https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important)
With a media culture that panders to our labels, party divisions, ethnicities, and social classes, it can be hard to remain in the Truth. When we restrict ourselves to a narrow view, the danger is we will blind ourselves to our neighbors, perhaps even to God. We can become defensive when we consistently feed on media that only supports our perspective, creating our own version of truth, and fearing perspectives that differ from our own. We can be pressured to believe we need to fight in order to remain relevant, in power, or on top. This is the antithesis of Jesus’ Truth, the truth that is absolutely necessary for Jesus’ reign.
Dan White, author of Love over Fear: Facing Monsters, Befriending Enemies, and Healing Our Polarized World, posted on social media recently:
When you live in Culture War Mode there is always a battle to fight, a side to take, and people to fear… When you live in God’s Kingdom there’s always a stranger to welcome, a neighbor to befriend, and an enemy to love. (Twitter (x) July 28, 2024 Dan White Jr.)
Many of us do seek out the truth in the media we consume and strive to remain in truth. As we attempt to build God’s reign in our relationships, preaching, and service, we need to be diligent and critical even in our own communications. Because, ultimately, being people of Truth is what defines us as Catholic and Dominican.
Catherine is the youth minister at St. Agnes Parish, Springfield; Dominican associate, and member of the JUST Words editorial board.
