Falsehoods, mistruths or even “alternative facts” — as Kellyanne Conway would say — are some of the words used by public figures and news outlets to dance around what they may really mean: lie. While those words have their place in the media, “lie” has similarly found a foothold in the headlines. 

Other than the occasional outlier, like CBS in 2012 putting together “infamous political lies,” news media does not often — and for some outlets, ever — call something a lie or call someone a liar. That was until President Donald Trump’s political appearance. Not long after his 2016 campaign did the phrase start popping up more frequently and accurately, changing this trend in a way that I believe to be for the better. 

Rick Pearson, the chief political reporter for the Chicago Tribune, believes this is because lying is credited as Trump’s strategy, which is often known for fearmongering, fueled by repeated lies. 

“It was never part of a calculated political strategy until Trump elevated it that way,” Pearson said. “It’s a lie, it’s a political strategy. Repeat the lie so often that it dulls the senses of everybody and some people think those lies will become truth.”

As his strategy advanced, so did political reporting. Soon after, there was a conversation from many big media outlets regarding their opinions on the importance of the word or showing their support by using these labels. Many editors, professors and professionals have found themselves in the conversation, both agreeing and disagreeing with the word’s usage in the media.

David Greenberg, a contributing editor at Politico Magazine, writes that he thinks the trend shouldn’t continue. 

Greenberg believes editors are right to worry that calling Trump a liar is “overreaching” or “speculating” about his intent. 

“Though it may seem fainthearted to use words like “falsehood” and “untruth,” in the long run the press will have more influence if it avoids insinuating more than it can confidently assert to be true,” Greenberg writes.

I, as well as retired journalism professor Jeff Cohen, disagree.

“It’s sort of a cover-up for those in power when you don’t call it a lie,” Cohen, producer of the documentary “All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of I.F. Stone,” told the AP.  

Trump has made it very clear he doesn’t like the media and doesn’t plan to start liking it anytime soon. If speech is restricted out of fear, there’s no telling what will happen to the future of journalism. I also believe it’s a stretch to say the media is “overreaching” when it comes to referring specifically to Trump as a liar, as it’s been found pretty certain he spews purposefully misleading statements.

“Until the age and era of Trumpism, where it became a political strategy, I think that’s where it became the evolution of the journalist practice changed to flat out say ‘he lied about this, and this is why he is lying about this,’” Pearson said.

The “why” is important to Pearson, as it should be to any good journalist. In a mix of labels and accountability, the proof and reasoning is just as valid as calling something for what it is.

Mia Abraham, a DePaul journalism major with a political science minor, says she has seen the word in media headlines surrounding Trump as well as referring to Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence, after confirmation hearing controversies. 

She also believes that the “why” is a big part of justifying labels like lie or liar, but believes their place in the media is important.

“Sometimes it is necessary to call it as it is, especially in our government,” Abraham said. “However, I do think these media outlets should be proceeding with caution as these claims could ultimately affect the credibility of their networks.” 

She thinks the potential overuse of this vocabulary could ultimately lead to negative effects on the way society views media outlets. But, as a journalist herself, she says she would consider utilizing the terms.

“I would absolutely use the words in my news writing if it was necessary in the scenario,” Abraham said.

A bigger question to raise from all this goes farther than vocabulary and media controversy: Why does any of this matter when our country’s political “leader” has, intentionally or not, been found to have told 30,573 false or misleading statements over the course of four years — a number that was published in 2021 and doesn’t even include heinous statements about eating pets or the crowds of his opponent being faked with AI.

This is the “why” that deserves more attention. Whether our politicians are liars, crooks or criminals, it might be smart to not get caught up in the labels journalists use, but pay attention to why we’re using them.

Related Stories:

• The transparency of Trump’s lies
• In age of fake news, lying more part of ‘fundamental human condition’ than ever
• OPINION: Fake newspapers spreading lies to Illinois voters

Stay informed with The DePaulia’s top stories, delivered to your inbox every Monday.