He said, she said, they said…
Posted by CBowenNov 22
Sometimes it’s hard to know whom to believe.
You hear a colleague talk about her students making all the content decisions, and then you have her kids in a workshop….and that’s not the way they tell it. You think you know who did all the work on that fantastic layout….and then someone tells you what went on behind the scenes. Or horror stories circulate about some nasty administrator….and then you learn what he says the student journalists did or didn’t do.
That said, let’s be clear this has NOTHING to do with any specific situation, past or present. It’s an accumulation of situations over the years, and it isn’t aimed at anyone or anything.
This is simply a reminder that just about every story has more than one side. In fact, it may have lots and lots of sides, and hearing only one of them may not be enough. Don’t jump to conclusions. The first version you get may not be the closest to reality, and it may take hearing a variety of viewpoints, weighing them carefully, before you can reach your own conclusion.
After all, good journalists want balanced information. They need to know what he said and she said and they said in an attempt to find the truth.
Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE
Isn’t that the truth. Gathering ALL sides of a story is more than just presenting a pro or a con. It’s not just black or white but rather all the shades of gray in between where we often find the truth.
We need to also consider that in many cases – like who made the content decision or the final call on the layout – perception becomes reality. So one person may perceive that offering advice is just that and another may see it as control. For each person their perception is their reality.
Gathering as much info as you can in any situation leads to a better educated decision and perhaps a truer reality.