Credibility

"Journalism is not stenography." -- Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist.

"Our intention is never to lie." -- Sean Spicer, White House press secretary

   The king of denial escalated his self-described "war with the media" on Day One of his first term in office, even as he referred to his next "eight years" as President.
   Note: A presidential term is four years, not eight. By saying eight, he assumes he will be re-elected.
   Never assume. You're not there yet.

   Deleting all reference to climate change from a government web site doesn't change reality. Neither does chanting a doctrine of "alternative facts."
   Galileo was forced to recant his teaching that the earth revolves around the sun or be excommunicated.  But as the bishops left the room, the scientist reportedly said quietly, "Nevertheless, it moves."
   Climate change and global warming may conflict with your preconceived view of the world, just as the bishops believed that the earth was the center of the universe. But insisting that you're right and Nature is wrong doesn't change reality.
   You may not like the pictures that show disappearing glaciers and a melting polar ice cap, just as you don't like photographs of a smaller crowd size on your special day than on your predecessor's.
   Nevertheless, it's real.

   The job of a press secretary is to provide true information to American citizens and to the world, usually through the medium of journalism and to reporters gathered in the White House press room. Stacking the room with employees of so-called news outlets loyal to a given President won't change reality or the work of others in journalism.
   The job of the news media is to report what a press secretary says, and to compare and contrast that with what others say, as well as to a statement's relationship with fact and reality.
   Thus, a press secretary's main asset -- his only important asset -- is credibility. If he keeps spouting easily debunked "alternative facts," and threatens those who question and disprove his claims, why should anyone believe what he says next time?
   Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, recently insisted that journalists should "look at what's in his heart, not just what comes out of his mouth."
   Reality check: Journalists are not psychics. They can only report what a person says.
   On Monday, Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer tried to smooth over a rough beginning relationship with the White House press corps by saying, "Our intention is never to lie."
   Unlike his appearance Sunday, in which he attacked news coverage of the Trump inauguration and walked out of the room without taking questions, Spicer remained calm and did not attack, promising to stay as long as need be to take any question.
   Whether the olive branch becomes a whipping stick, however, remains to be seen. 
   Accuracy and credibility are crucial assets for both journalists and politicians. When caught in an error, news media accept responsibility, issue a correction and announce an apology.
   Would that politicians do the same.