New York Times Launches Ad Campaign About “The Truth”
The New York Times launches an ad campaign tackling the biggest, most complicated topic of all – the truth.
Recently, it seems like formerly basic, immutable things have been called into question. The notion of common decency, perhaps, or the belief that our country has always been on the right path. Hell, even the concepts of “right” and “wrong” have appeared to be upended for people anywhere on the political spectrum.
In some respects, this is healthy. Certainly, we shouldn’t be making pat assumptions about basic moral concepts or about our fellow human beings.Still, there needs to be a threshold, whether it’s for our sanity or for matters of practicality in law and culture.
We have to draw the line somewhere. Without at least a basic structure for “truth” and other concepts, we could descend into anarchy. And, listen, I don’t care what your freshman college roommate told you, anarchy generally isn’t an effective way to live with your fellow human beings.
So, like Mulder and Scully, we have to believe that truth is out there somewhere. After we dig through the mess of obfuscation, opinion, and spin, we should find a kernel of reality. It seems as if The New York Times agrees (though the word is out on whether they’re Mulder or Scully).
To that end, the NYT has just launched a new ad campaign. In fact, as part of this effort, the newspaper will run its first ever ad during the upcoming 89th Academy Awards.
At first, the ad cycles through contradictory versions of “The truth is…”. Recordings of newscasters, protestors, and other people play in the background. The cycling becomes faster and faster, more frantic and more agitated until it reaches the end. Then, the text settles on “The truth is hard. The truth is hard to know. The truth is more important than ever.” It then ends with the New York Times logo.
The New York Times will also be pushing this campaign on television screens, online, and on billboards in Washington, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
On the one hand, this is an ad campaign. It is meant to sell subscriptions and bring attention to the publication. The massive amount of money and time spent on this speaks to the fact. A 30-second spot during recent Oscars ceremonies cost about $2 million.
However, we can’t dismiss the fact that The New York Times is part of a long tradition of journalism. Moreover, our nation’s sitting president has repeatedly criticized the media. He often claims that any news outlet publishing unflattering portrayals or critical reports is “fake news”. The NYT , in particular, has been on the receiving end of some of his tirades.
Whether or not you feel that the NYT is portraying an ultimate truth is only part of the larger picture. For one, it is unrealistic to expect any one publication to be an infallible truth-teller.
Moreover, it’s just as unreasonable to think that a single news source is sufficient. Rather, it is far more intelligent to gather your news from multiple well-respected, thoroughly researched sources. It is the duty of all citizens to remain informed and widely read.
When we have the power to choose our own leaders, we owe it to ourselves and our neighbors to make intelligent decisions. We must support media when we find it to be uncompromising in the face of tyranny and authoritarianism. We must support journalists who are willing to undertake difficult research and to write hard stories even when the government opposes them.
Next: The Washington Post Goes Metal With A New Slogan
Try to remember all of this as the notion of “truth” is subjected to further scrutiny in the coming years. And, yes, consider ordering a subscription to a leading newspaper of your choice, too. Regardless of ad campaigns, it’s an important part of being an intelligent, powerful citizen.