The Declining Value of Truth.

As soon as it was reported in the press that Ter'rese Edmonds - the driver of the MBTA Green Line train that crashed in Waban, Massachusetts on May 28th, 2008 – “may have been on her cell phone at the time of the fatal crash”, I said to myself - "says who?" Not one person was identified as actually seeing her on the phone, but that didn't stop the press from reporting on the rumor that “somebody had seen a cell phone on the floor”. All the press needed was the report of a single person who claimed to have seen a cell phone on the floor near Ter'rese Edmonds, and the story would write itself. "EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! MBTA OPERATOR YACKING ON CELL PHONE AT TIME OF CRASH". Only - that report now appears to be totally unfounded. According to a statement issued today by Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone: "based on [his offices'] investigation, there is no evidence that she was in communication with anyone on her cell phone -- whether through phone calls, text messages, or e-mail -- in the time immediately leading up to the crash". But here's what so great about the press - they now have a new story.... . "EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! REPORTS OF MBTA TRAIN OPERATOR BEING ON CELL PHONE DEEMED BASELESS, SAYS DISTRICT ATTORNEY”. The press can't lose. Truth and false reports are both newsworthy.

We live in a society which demands the delivery of breaking news at breakneck speed. The mainstream news media no longer has enough time to verify the accuracy of the news it reports before deadline, and so it operates on rumors. Think about the family of Ter'rese Edmonds. Think about how they felt as every news outlet was reporting that their deceased daughter may have derailed a train and injured scores of people because she was distracted by her cell phone conversation. I can’t begin to imagine the range of emotions they experienced. Now imagine what happens when this quality of information makes its way into the courtroom. While jurors are repeatedly warned not to read or listen to any press reports pertaining to the case they are hearing, we know they do anyway. And what they read may well change how they vote in the jury room. It’s scary.

The press is granted enormous power under the First Amendment, but that power must be kept in check by an unwavering commitment to place truth before advertising revenue, and with the advent of the internet and 24 hour news shows, the value of truth may be dropping faster than the U.S. dollar!