Viewpoint:

How do you decide what is true, and what isn’t? I was struck by the Letter to the Editor in this issue of the paper from Steve LaHue. I was struck by it for two reasons. First, he sent it to me several times and apologized for a senior moment. The fact, and we are going to try and figure out how to find out facts, was I had thought we had already printed it and ignored it the second (and maybe third) time he sent it to me. It wasn’t he who had the senior moment.

Each week when I sit down to write a Viewpoint, I generally have some thought or idea about the outcome of what I am going to say. Our fact checking isn’t perfect, but if I quote someone I generally let you know where it came from so that you could look it up if you like.

As Mr. LaHue asks, “How many votes does it take to become a headline?” In my opinion (an opinion gives me the right not to have a source), the headline is probably the most important sentence in the entire article. Headlines capture your attention. A good headline begins to stir emotion in you before you read a single word of the article. Words can make so much difference.

For instance, much discussion has been circulating about the proposed development for Colorado City. The headline at the top of the August 24 issue of the View said, “Heated Interaction Greets Development Proposal.”

I wrote that headline because I felt it was indicative of the tone of the meeting. I, of course, have my own opinion about the actual development but I give it my best effort to be true to what I am reporting. What if, instead, the headline had been, “Metro Board Fails to Control Reaction to Colorado City Development.” Would that draw a different picture?

Mr. LaHue is probably right about the story he cites. The headline that was the truest would have been something like, “I’m not going to Buy any More Santana Albums because he Deleted his Apology for Gender Identity Remarks.”

So how do you know what the bias of the reporter is? Well, first of all, any central statement (other than when it is purely opinion like this one) should have some references to where the information came from.

You’ve all read the article entitled, “Four Colorado Cities Picked as Best in the West.” That one will have a paragraph somewhere that tells you the criteria for that statement.

Actually, going to local meetings is a good idea. Most meetings are zoomed now and you can have your own opinion instead of someone else’s.

I usually avoid watching the summary of, let’s say, a political debate after I’ve watched it. If I watched it, why do I need to be told what I saw?

I have actually started a Viewpoint before and been unable to find substantiation for the point I wanted to make so I wrote about something else.

Steve, thanks for the letter.

There are a few things I will never believe no matter how much public opinion disagrees with me. So, you have to allow for some of those things. You’ll never see a headline in the View that says, “Man-made Global Warming is Destroying the Planet.” It’s a lie.

I’ll never write a headline or a story indicating that abortion is anything but taking the life of a child. And, don’t tell my youngest granddaughter, but grandpa will never write a story verifying the existence of a unicorn.

The only answer to finding facts or truth is checking them out, reading other sources, and talking to people you respect.

Oh, and I’ll never quit listening to Santana, no matter what the headlines say.