I first published an earlier version of this essay two years ago in December 2020.
"You're right from your side / I'm right from mine," Bob Dylan wrote in one of his more obscure songs. Similar sentiments from other artists capture the convoluted nature of mutual truth that we all seek in one way or another.
And this raises a particular dilemma for journalists as we attempt to cover corporate and civic affairs for the public. Thus our methodology. I should elaborate.
I remember an incident from our "Circle of Poison" investigation in the 1970s and 1980s. I was focused on the moral aspect of U.S. companies shipping banned pesticides to Third World countries, which exposed farmworkers and their families to health risks, and led to more pollution of the environment, which of course knows no borders.
At an international gathering of people concerned with this issue in Mexico, including many who worked at chemical companies, a representative of Dow Chemical approached me and said, "I understand your concern but what's wrong with helping a hungry world eat?"
His point was that even if the pesticides were considered too dangerous for us here in the U.S., food scarcity was such in poorer countries that such compromises made sense. After all, at least in the short term, pesticides boost food productivity.
His comment got me thinking and we started investigating what crops the hazardous pesticides were being applied to. That research led to a breakthrough in our analysis, as almost all of the crops sprayed in Third World countries did not go to local people but were "export crops" destined to end up right back here in the U.S. with you and me.
This completed the "circle" in our analysis and guaranteed the book would cause more waves than it would have had we solely focused on the impacts overseas.
Thus did an industry representative help us complete a major piece of our investigation. My guess is that he didn't know himself what the pesticides were used for; he just assumed they were part of an effort to boost local food production.
This example is why we always counsel students and young journalists to probe all sides of the issues they investigate. Environmentalists and worker safety activists may have one perspective; manufacturers and farmers may have another; regulatory agencies may reflect yet another point of view.
In the interest of achieving the highest quotient of truth possible, journalists have to consider whether everybody might be right at the same time. In my example, the guy from Dow was right -- there’s nothing wrong with helping hungry people get food. The environmentalists are right -- pesticides harm the environment. And the regulators that push for more sustainable methods of agricultural production are right about what's best for the long term.
Maybe that is one of the keys to good journalism, or an honest inquiry of any type. Maybe we should always be searching for the ways everybody can be right in one way or another. Maybe then we will get to the Venn diagram of the matter.
Of course, inevitably, this approach has its limits. We have to make choices. Some things we do because they are the right thing to do.
Morality has to trump the profit motive when it comes to sustaining life on earth.
LINKS:
Global inflation likely to have peaked, key data indicators suggest (Financial Times)
Zero-Covid protests are spreading across China – but a violent crackdown will follow (Guardian)
Xi Jinping has a tough decision to make on China's COVID protests (Nikkei Asia)
After Deadly Blaze, Surge of Defiance Against China’s Covid Policies (NYT)
Police patrolled the scenes of weekend protests in Shanghai and Beijing after crowds there and in other cities across China demonstrated against stringent COVID measures disrupting lives three years into the pandemic. (Reuters)
Covid’s still a big issue for China – and that’s trouble for global economy (Guardian)
Exclusive: U.S. weighs sending 100-mile strike weapon to Ukraine (Reuters)
14 years later, NATO is set to renew its vow to Ukraine (AP)
Zelensky warns citizens to brace for more Russian airstrikes (WP)
As Winter Looms, Snowfall and Mud Present New Hardships for Ukraine (NYT)
For Afghans who fought against the Taliban, life is fraught under their rule (NPR)
The Next Afghan-Refugee Crisis Is Right Here in the U.S. (Atlantic)
What Can The 2022 Midterms Tell Us About 2024? (538)
McCarthy’s pursuit of speaker’s gavel comes at a high cost (AP)
House Dems on GOP's thin majority: Welcome to hell (Politico)
State-level law enforcement units created after the 2020 presidential election in Florida, Georgia and Virginia to investigate voter fraud have provided no indication of systemic problems more than two weeks after this year's midterm elections. Critics complain the new units were more about politics than rooting out any widespread abuses. [AP]
Mauna Loa Volcano in Hawaii Erupts for the First Time in Nearly 40 Years (NYT)
Water boil order issued for more than 2 million in Houston (ABC)
CA Gov. Newsom has told President Biden that he will not challenge the Democratic incumbent in 2024. (Politico)
Suburbanites are saving the Democrats in Georgia — and elsewhere (WP)
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday said Senate Democrats likely don’t have enough votes to pass a federal assault-style weapons ban that’s once again being pushed by President Joe Biden in the wake of more mass shootings. Murphy added that another focus in Congress should be on how to handle counties that refuse to enforce state and national gun laws. [HuffPost]
Marijuana Pardons Affect Just a Sliver of Those Swept Up in the War on Drugs (NYT)
73 percent of NYC high schools don’t have a newspaper. There's a push for more. (Politico)
Police take down "super cartel" said to be behind about a third of Europe's cocaine trade (CBS)
Bills targeting trans youth are growing more common — and radically reshaping lives (NPR)
What Could Go Wrong?! 48,500-Year-Old Siberian Virus is Revived (Ancient Origins)
Sea levels are rising dramatically in a hot spot off the Virginia coast. In Virginia’s Hampton Roads region, waters have risen nearly a foot and a half since 1927, and the pace has picked up over the past three decades. (WP)
Climate Change Summit Leaves Hope for Limiting Global Warming (WSJ)
Study Finds Plants Communicate Using Underground Network Of Spies (The Onion)
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