As a retired newspaper reporter, there are few things that get under my skin more than the habit some journalists have of assuming they can read minds.
While listening to the news from NPR the other day, I heard a report from the BBC about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. The report noted, among other things, that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro believes allowing humanitarian aid from Colombia would pave the way for an American military invasion of his country.
Now, on its face, such reporting may seem straightforward enough. But here's the rub. The BBC does not know what Maduro believes, only what he claims to believe. Does he really believe an invasion is a serious threat? Or is that claim a cynical ploy to bolster his support by frightening his fellow Venezuelans? I don't know. You don't know. And neither does the BBC.
News organizations should report what they know to be true, not what they assume to be true. In this case, the BBC knew what Maduro said about the risk of invasion, but not whether Maduro actually believes what he said.
What politicians say and what they believe often are two very different things. Reporters covering a speech or a news conference know the former. They cannot possibly know the latter. Lest we forget: politicians lie. A lot. So stick to reporting the known (what was said) without making assumptions about the unknown (what's actually going on in a politician's mind).
Now, on its face, such reporting may seem straightforward enough. But here's the rub. The BBC does not know what Maduro believes, only what he claims to believe. Does he really believe an invasion is a serious threat? Or is that claim a cynical ploy to bolster his support by frightening his fellow Venezuelans? I don't know. You don't know. And neither does the BBC.
News organizations should report what they know to be true, not what they assume to be true. In this case, the BBC knew what Maduro said about the risk of invasion, but not whether Maduro actually believes what he said.
What politicians say and what they believe often are two very different things. Reporters covering a speech or a news conference know the former. They cannot possibly know the latter. Lest we forget: politicians lie. A lot. So stick to reporting the known (what was said) without making assumptions about the unknown (what's actually going on in a politician's mind).
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