Good newspapers serve the truth, not fake news of some parts of the media

A letter from JT Hardy:
A newspaper is printed. Local papers like the News Letter are an antidote to the fake news peppering the internet and some TV broadcastsA newspaper is printed. Local papers like the News Letter are an antidote to the fake news peppering the internet and some TV broadcasts
A newspaper is printed. Local papers like the News Letter are an antidote to the fake news peppering the internet and some TV broadcasts

In last Saturday’s paper Sam McBride (‘We need more good journalism — and more good politicians,’ August 7, see link below) ended his memorable time of service at the News Letter with a scintillating and inisive report.

Departing with a positive flurry, he warned about the epic importance of nurturing high quality journalism.

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Poor quality journalism can deceive the metropolitan elite and misdirect people, but this should not be viewed as a worrying new source of alarm. CS Lewis (1898-1963) wrote a couple of powerful paragraphs about this in one of his lesser known works: That Hideous Strength. They are quoted on ‘Weeflea.com’ Blog (Aug 05 2021): ‘Another Prescient Prophecy from CS Lewis’.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and smaller local papers (like this one) are an antidote to the fake news peppering the internet and some TV broadcasts.

Academics have started speaking of an-’infodemic’-where a viral proliferation of news stories (some true and some false) drowns out the ordinary citizen’s ability to make much sense of the world around them.

As well as being a recreation and entertainment, an on-line or print purchase of the News Letter may be a form of vaccination against the lies of countless fiends and bullies, who would wish to drop a curtain on the truth and keep evil hidden from public view.

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Local newspapers, like this one, believe in objective truth; and the desirability of finding it, plus sharing it with their readers.

One of the greatest modern Protestant writers and theologians was a man called Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), who was martyred for his faith by the Nazi regime just before the end of the Second World War. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is alleged to have said: ‘No man in the whole world can change the truth. One can only look for the truth, find it and serve it. The truth is in all places.’

JT Hardy, Belfast BT5

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A message from the Editor:

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