How journalism fights lies, fake news and personal attacks

Toronto Star’s Washington correspondent offers his thoughts on the future of journalism to upcoming journalists

Toronto Star’s Washington correspondent, Daniel Dale, said people just don’t believe reporter’s words anymore. (Sheehan Desjardins/Ryerson School of Journalism)

Good journalism comes down to good questions, according to a Washington correspondent for the Toronto Star.

“You’re constantly reminded when you do real journalism that people appreciate it,” reporter Daniel Dale said at Ryerson University on Wednesday. “Be skeptical of everything.”

Sitting among the crowd was a class of first-year journalism students.

I think this is a wonderful time for journalists to do journalism,” Dale said. “A way we respond to this era of delegitimization, to personal attacks, is to devote yourself to regular old journalism.”

This is just one piece of advice Dale had for aspiring journalists.

He also offered guidance on how reporters can handle belittled in the workplace.Dale said he does little thing like tweeting about the Toronto Raptors to show people he is still a person.

“I have been in a Trump rally where he has pointed at the media and said, ‘This is the lowest form of humanity,’” Dale said. “Showing people you have a family, you have friends or care about the same sports team that they care about, showing people that you’re a real-life human and not a hyped-up professional all the time can really help.”

Dale: It’s not my responsibly as a reporter to take someone down

Dale was named to Politico’s list of breakout media stars of 2016 after publishing a daily catalogue of false things Trump had said.

“It’s not my responsibly as a reporter to take someone down,” Dale said. “I have an opportunity to contribute in some way. It might be a little way… I can add facts, I can add context, I can make people a little smarter about what people are seeing and hearing.”

Dale said, while fake news was apparent in the 2016 U.S. campaign, it wasn’t as big a problem as people made it out to be.

“I think it was an issue but I think it’s one that is so easy to grasp, you know, people making stuff up. I think it is tempting to focus on it at the expense of other real issues.”

He said often the truth is discovered in the tiniest details.

“The little lies to me are so revealing about character,” Dale said. “If you check it, often you’ll find that, even if it’s not proof that what they’re saying is false, you might find the story behind the number.”