Most people tell white lies—about small or unimportant things told to avoid hurting another person, or as an excuse for missing the party, or because they spilled a little tea, or made an obnoxious noise in a crowded room.
Some people tell big fat lies—some of which are chronicled on websites. Bill Moyers wrote about them in “10 Big Fat Lies and the Liars Who Told Them.”[1]
The ethical point of this blog is to make sure when writing about lies we are not retelling the lie. The writer should make sure the lie is untruthful in ways that do not simply pass the lie along and turn the writer into a liar.
FACT-CHECKING
Fact-checking is verifying the factual accuracy of questioned reporting and statements. Fact-checking can be conducted before or after the text or content is published or otherwise distributed. Madame Merriam-Webster says fact-checking is verifying the factual accuracy before publication. Unfortunately, thousands of pundits, reporters, commentators, and paid hoaxers think fact-checking is merely confirming that a liar said whatever the writer is writing about. That’s not fact-checking the lie, it’s confirming the existence of the liar.
Ethical writers should understand the difference between verification and fact-checking. “Verification is the editorial technique used by journalists — including fact-checkers — to verify the accuracy of a statement . . . Verification is a discipline that lies at the heart of journalism, and that is increasingly being practiced and applied by other professions. Fact-checking is a specific application of verification in the world of journalism. In this respect verification is a fundamental practice that enables fact-checking.”[2]
Professional writers today engage fact checkers, verification, and truth tellers to write about liars without becoming a liar. PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of elected officials and others on its Truth-O-Meter.[3] It is connected to the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.[4]
The Poynter Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that has long been the gold standard for the professional development of journalists. They help journalists improve their craft, commit to the highest ethical practices, hone career ambitions, and develop newsroom strategies.
They are also home to the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership. It is a voice for journalists, citizens, and everyone interested in elevating discourse and fact-based expression while battling disinformation and bias. Through the work of the Center, journalism can evolve its values and the public will better understand how those values impact their everyday lives, building practices of mutual trust and transparency.
Sociopaths
“Approximately 12 million Americans, or one in twenty-five, are sociopaths. But what does this statistic mean? What exactly is a sociopath? What do they do to be labeled as such? And how many people are affected by them? While everyday lying has become acceptable and even socially necessary, it is often difficult to discover when someone is manipulating you through lies or other actions. Since a sociopath has no conscience, he or she feels no remorse about piling a lie on top of a lie until, eventually, the façade comes crashing down and he or she is exposed.”[5]
Sociopathy is an antisocial personality disorder. People with this disorder usually lie, break laws, act impulsively, and lack regard for their own safety or the safety of others. In the context of politicians in or out of office, sociopaths are often defined by the insistence they only tell the truth.
“There’s no standard list of sociopath signs, but the signs and symptoms of ASPD include a persistent pattern of disregard for others. For example, they ignore social norms and laws, break rules in office, overstep social boundaries, are dishonest and deceitful, and manipulate others for personal gain. They show little to no guilt or remorse, or a tendency to justify actions that negatively affect others. They seem charming at first until their self-interest becomes clear. They generally find it challenging to maintain friendships, relationships, and other mutually fulfilling connections. This exhibits low empathy and emotional intelligence, a lack of concern for the safety of others, and have a tendency to intimidate and threaten in order to maintain control.”[6]
National Graphic identified the top five American liars in its June 2017 issue in order of magnitude of the lie: (1) Richard Nixon, (2) The 1919 Chicago White Sox, (3) Anna Anderson, (4) Charles Ponzi, (5) P.T. Barnum.[7]
It is widely accepted that politicians lie more than any other profession. The most recent known political liar is former U.S. Congressman George Santos, who seemingly lied about his education, charitable activity, athletic prowess, and place of residence.[8]
Reportedly, a young George Washington confessed to cutting down a cherry tree by proclaiming to his father, “I cannot tell a lie.” His father embraced him for telling the truth and declared that honesty was more valuable than a thousand trees. Ironically, the story is not true. It was invented by one of Washington’s first biographers after Washington’s death.[9]
Mark Twain famously popularized the saying, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”[10] He referred to his own difficulty in understanding figures, and to the idea that statistics can have persuasive power, even when used inappropriately.
No reliable data suggests that the website known as “Truth Social” could sustain fact-checking or verification, much less truth-telling.
[1] https://billmoyers.com/content/10-big-fat-lies-and-the-liars-who-told-them/2/
[2] https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-1/additional-materials/verification-and-fact-checking
[3] https://www.politifact.com/
[4] https://www.poynter.org/careers/
[5] https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Liars-Sociopaths-Detect-Deal/dp/1634503821
[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/sociopath#signs
[7] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/famous-liars
[8] https://theconversation.com/all-politicians-must-lie-from-time-to-time-so-why-is-there-so-much-outrage-about-george-santos-a-political-philosopher-explains-197877#
See also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Santos
[9] https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/10-biggest-lies-in-history.htm
[10] Twain M. Chapters from My Autobiography. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19987/19987-h/19987-h.htm. Published 1906. Accessed September 20, 2017.
I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. Read my bio.
If you have an important story you want told, you can commission me to write it for you. Learn how.
I am an author and a part-time lawyer with a focus on ethics and professional discipline. I teach creative writing and ethics to law students at Arizona State University. 
My latest novel is Hide & Be. 
If you have an important story you want told, you can commission me to write it for you. 