Has truth Kicked the Bucket?

Interesting.  Well I found it so anyway.  It may not have registered on many people’s “interesting” meter, but it did on mine.
I was waiting for the news and came upon The Drum.  They cover a multitude of topics on that show, but I came in where the question was being asked of the panellists “has truth kicked the bucket?”
I probably found it interesting as truth is something I think about and is important to me.  Our institutions are built on truth.  We conduct business based on it.  Any institution not built on it is brought to light and hopefully the exposure causes them to go away.  For some people the exposure comes too late and they lose thousands or they are trapped some where they do not want to be.
The panellists had many varied views.  Some I agreed with and some I didn’t.  For me, not agreeing with someone does not give me the right to talk over someone or worse yet to talk down.  Unfortunately there seems to be less and less of that sort of tolerance these days.  If I say something that is not agreed with, I risk being swamped.  The most embarrassing person on the panel, was someone I agreed with, who talked over someone they did not agree with.
The question “has truth kicked the bucket” came up because so much of what is presented these days is only half the story or worse still a complete fabrication.  This has led to cynicism.  I doubt things are as good as we are being told by some, or as bad as we are being told by others.  I make decisions based on what I believe and how things are for me and my house, and those I associate with.
One of the panellists highlighted something that is a concern to me.  He was talking about the role of technology these days.  It has tremendous befits, but unfortunately can be used negatively as well.  Today anyone can be picked out and an image displayed of them saying something they never said, and it be published.  The rush to judgement generally means the person is doomed.
I remember hearing about something that was proven but controversial, making the papers.  Because it was controversial it was refuted but unproven.  The refuting received more prominence than the item that was proved.  One was the truth and one was a lie.  Readers were left with the impression that what was the truth was the lie.
The term “fake news” was mentioned in the discussion.  I may not like the messenger, but it does not change that fake news is out there.  It seems social media and instant communication provides a perfect breeding ground for it.
The fact I can be lied to means I need to keep my antenna well and truly up.  Fortunately, most of us have an in-built “truth meter” if we are willing to listen to it.  It can be incredibly frustrating, but I cannot afford to rush to a decision.  It is important I hear as many sides of the story as I can, if I can.  After all, I may come across more facts, but by then the damage may have been done.