Sometimes, one simply has to marvel at the arrogance and condescension displayed by those who purport themselves to be purveyors of âtruth.â
NBC News anchor Lester Holt is one such person. Last Tuesday, while accepting the Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism at the 45th Murrow Symposium, Holt declared that reporters are not required to hear both sides of a story in order to determine the truth.
âI think itâs become clearer that fairness is overrated,â Holt asserted. âThe idea that we should always give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in. That the sun sets in the west is a fact. Any contrary view does not deserve our time or attention. Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda. In fact, itâs just the opposite.â