Charleston Currents

BRACK: Verify, then trust: How to get more out of your news diet

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | When word came this week that a former journalism professor passed away, it led to thoughts about how people’s consumption and understanding of news has evolved.

by Andy Brack · 10/24/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views

FOCUS, Saul: Why telling the truth is so important

By Dr. Robert Saul, special to Statehouse Report | Truth-telling is an essential skill for personal life, for interpersonal social interactions, for community activities and for governmental decision-making.

This obviously goes without saying, but I would argue that we are suffering from some of the recent ill effects of “less than truth-telling.”

Before everyone starts pointing fingers at each other or at the other political party, let’s settle back and just be honest with each other. Truth-telling can be hard at times (it has consequences) and listening to truth-telling can be hard at times (it can change our thoughts and actions). And it indeed takes a good deal of perseverance.

Truth is not in the eye of the beholder. Truth is a series of facts that often need to be proven or investigated. Truth is not an opinion. Truth is not a series of alternate facts because a series of alternate facts is a series of untruths. The search for truth can be frustrating but eventually leads to the correct way to live and to conduct oneself.

by Special to Charleston Currents · 03/08/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Focus, My Turn, Views

NEW for 3/8: On truth-telling, S.C.’s economy, more

IN THIS ISSUE
FOCUS: Why telling the truth is so important
COMMENTARY, Brack: State doing better than you might think, feel
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: S.C. Ports Authority
NEWS BRIEFS: Charleston GOP straddles the fence on Trump
FEEDBACK: Send us your thoughts
MYSTERY PHOTO: Where is this bridge?
CALENDAR: “Blind Justice” prints available through March 15

by Charleston Currents · 03/08/2021 · Comments are Disabled · Full issue

BRACK: #FakeNews is a fake phenomenon

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher | There is no such thing as #FakeNews.

There is, however, a cynical, national political strategy called #FakeNews. It is a continuing attempt by President Trump and his cronies to promote public disbelief in information that these politicos don’t like or that makes them look bad.

The whole “#FakeNews” phenomenon is nothing more than a public relations ultra-spin to kill the messenger AND the message.

Before you shout #FakeNews or #RealNews, please realize neither exists. Either something is news or it is not. That which is not news either doesn’t measure up as something that’s new, factual and interesting. Or it is something titillating that is simply made up, a fiction.

The job of a reporter is to provide new information based on facts (hence, “news”) with which you might not be familiar so you can keep informed. Facts are bits of verifiable information. For example, Clemson will play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. That’s a verifiable fact. But it’s also a fact that a Clemson coach hopes the team will win. Sure, that’s an opinion of the coach, but it’s a fact that it is his opinion.

by Andy Brack · 12/18/2017 · Comments are Disabled · Andy Brack, Views