He has been a journalist for over 30 years and in his mind, things have changed. The notion of journalism as truth-telling may be met with surprise and denial by many of you, and Davies would probably sympathise. Be it through reviewing literature, conducting interviews or checking sources, the final goal is the same – to “construct a story entirely out of statements of fact.” And if the primary function of a journalist is truth-telling, the primary activity should be checking and gathering evidence. To him, telling the truth is a “necessary but not sufficient” part of the job. In a superb session, Davies (ably interviewed by Jeremy Webb of New Scientist) set out his thesis about the broken state of science journalism, littered with pithy turns of phrase and good-natured storytelling.ĭavies’s key assertion is that journalism is about telling the truth. On his website, he describes the book as “ the lid off newspapers and broadcasters, exposing the mechanics of falsehood, distortion and propaganda naming names and telling the stories behind stories.” Nick Davies is one of the most interesting figures in UK journalism, not least because of the publication of his excellent book Flat Earth News.
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