Earlier this week we discussed the importance of journalists verifying their sources as well as the role that the press plays in democracy. I feel that as Americans we should feel privileged to live in a country that promotes freedom of speech and press, and in order to respect that freedom we should try to put forth our best and most honorable work.
One example for why people should verify their sources is Paul Dunn. A member of the quorum of the 70 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dunn was widely known for his amazing stories. Dunn spoke on his days playing major league baseball for the St. Louis Cardnals, as well as wild WWII stories in which he had narowly escaped death. It wasn't until 1990 that people (including the press) began to question the validity of Dunn's stories. After conducting research a number of investigators accussed Dunn of lying and fabricating most of his stories. Dunn later admited to this but defended his argument by stating that his stories were meant to be Christ-like parables which often represented more meaningful messages.
Although unfortunate, this event illustrates the importance of verifying sources. Dunn was a highly regarded religious figure and his stories helped shape the testimonies of a vast amount of members during that time. The news that Dunn had been lying to the members was earth-shattering to many and caused many of them to question the integrity of the entire church. Furthermore, this scandal was a huge embarassment to the church, who was Dunn's biggest affiliation.
If there is one thing that we can learn from this story it is that if you want to maintain the trust of your audience as well as a good reputation, then it is essential to verify sources. In addition, I feel that because of the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy we should aim to provide the public with the best and most truthful stories possible. Of all people, Dunn should have been verifying his sources because he not only enjoys the freedom of speech, press, but also of religion. And I feel that when these three freedoms are intertwined the truth should always be the number one concern.
You are right. One slip up (that is intentional) will loose your audience trust completely. Fortunately, mistakes are often made unintentionally, a retraction is administered and the audience isn't lost. But in a situation anything like Dunn's, I think you would loose your credibility all together. Deliberately misleading and then not mentioning anything about it until you are caught...looks pretty bad.
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