Searching Out a Matter

Media bias is a hot topic for many in the United States. Last June, a Pew Research Center survey revealed that 60 percent of Americans consider the press "politically biased." Only 21 percent believe that the press "deals fairly with all sides" in political matters.

Questions of media bias are not confined to the United States. I recently visited a major journalism school in Bordeaux, France, and asked the school's director what the students were learning. He said the school taught that there is "no such thing as objective reality" and that since reporters can only see a slice of reality, their reporting is necessarily subjective—meaning it is affected by the reporter's background, point of view and philosophy. In his view, a reporter's job was not to overcome those limitations and fairly present the "truth," but rather to use "selected facts" to convince readers to accept the reporter's political point of view.

"If this is the case," I replied, "then surely your reporters will get into trouble with their readers, since at least some will perceive the bias in reporting and complain to the publication." The director assured me that it would be the readers' fault if they failed to recognize that what they were reading was "conservative reality" or "socialist reality."

If these French journalism students report as they are being taught, they will present the "news of the world" through a political or philosophical filter, distorting reality. But they are not alone. Readers of British newspapers know that some papers are reliably "conservative" while others are plainly "left" in their reporting of the very same "facts." Even in the U.S., where many in the news media claim to hold objectivity as an ideal, some publications and broadcasts have developed a reputation as "liberal" or "conservative." Anyone who does not make an effort to compare "realities" or to double-check stories and facts will develop a very flawed view on many topics.

Is there a reliable source of truth, or is everything subjective? Christ gave the answer in John 17:17. Praying to the Father, He asked: "Sanctify them [Christ's disciples] by Your truth. Your word is truth." Jesus Christ, in person, was the reliable living Word. The Bible is the reliable written word of God. The Bible is truth. Christ's disciples are set apart by their adherence to biblical truth.

However, people can even distort the Bible by "spinning" selected "facts" to promote a particular point of view. King Solomon observed that "the first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him" (Proverbs 18:17). This means that we must question what we hear and read. Just as when examining media reports, we must diligently examine Scripture and search out all the facts to gain a better understanding.

Another verse in Proverbs reminds us that "the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2). People of noble heart and character will make the necessary diligent search to find truth. When we at Tomorrow's World cite Bible verses to support our points, we urge you to read those verses for yourself, to see whether we are "spinning" biblical facts or whether we are fairly and honestly presenting truth. We know that on many important topics, we present truth that is far different from what you will hear at a typical church. But we know that if you search the Scriptures, you will recognize that what we write is based on plain biblical truth.

Are you comfortable with "your reality"? Or are you willing to examine the well-founded and provable truths found in your Bible? You decide.