Moral Maze What Is Truth?
Dec 24, 2025
In this thought-provoking conversation, Charlie Beckett, a journalism expert, highlights the challenge of distinguishing facts from contested truths amidst a media crisis. Fay Bound-Alberti, a historian, explores how emotions shape historical narratives, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives. Philosopher Mark Vernon discusses the intertwining of love and truth in psychotherapy, while Hilary Lawson presents his theory of 'closure', suggesting that truth is nuanced rather than absolute. Together, they unravel the complexities of truth in a world filled with varying perspectives.
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Facts Versus Perspective
- Charlie Beckett argues facts matter but truth is shaped by perspective, selection and reception in networked journalism.
- He warns contested facts involve power, ideology and emotion rather than mere data verification.
Engage, Explain, Integrate Fact‑Checking
- Beckett advises journalists to explain facts better and engage those who disagree instead of dismissing them as wrong.
- He cautions that separate, discrete fact-checking often backfires unless integrated into reporting.
Emotions As Historical Evidence
- Fay Bound-Alberti sees emotions as a form of truth because expression and performance communicate lived reality across time.
- She stresses historians must expand what counts as evidence to include embodied and marginalized voices.