“What is truth? That ancient question looms large in our era, full of accusations of fake news. Bruce Bartlett’s clear and concise guide reveals how to distinguish reliable journalism from reports riddled with errors, lies, and nonsense. Best of all, Bartlett’s manual is so accessible and direct that anyone will benefit from reading it, from high school students to casual news consumers to professional journalists.”
—David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
“Bartlett’s latest book, The Truth Matters, is a concise and essential primer filled with information on how best to use and understand the media. It offers techniques and resources that will help anyone who ever wanted to dig deeper into a story or make an educated decision about its accuracy and possible bias.”
—BillMoyers.com
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
1. Why the Traditional Media No Longer Serves Our Needs 5
2. The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Sources 13
3. How to Use Links 21
4. Confusing Press Conventions 29
5. Journalistic Techniques That May Obfuscate Rather Than Illuminate Sources 37
6. Trusting Academic Sources 45
7. What Your Local Library Has to Offer in Terms of News 53
8. Numbers Must Be Put into Context 59
9. Beware of Deceptive Labeling 69
10. The Perils of Polling 77
11. Using Wikipedia 87
12. The Problem of Fake News 95
13. Designing Your Own Newspaper 103 14. Editorial Opinions 111
15. How to Fight Fake News 119
