The WORD, July 14, 2025 (Publication of Journalists for Christ International Outreach)
In continuation of our seven-part series on seven things God hates about journalists, which started with a proud look last week, a lying tongue is the focus this week.
Years ago, an intern with a national newspaper in Nigeria submitted for publication an interview with a celebrity actress, which turned out to be false.
She made up the responses of the actress based on her past interviews. After initially claiming to have the tape of the interview, she admitted she lied.
A former Managing Editor and anchor of Nightly News in the United States, Brian Williams was once suspended for six months for claiming to have come under fire in a military helicopter in Iraq
There are numerous instances of journalists being penalised for fabricating details about their reporting processes and the facts they include in their reports or broadcasts, particularly in the era of widespread fake news, which is often denied.
Lying has serious consequences, like the case of Gehazi in II Kings 5: 25-27, who was afflicted with leprosy for lying that he did not collect what he was not supposed to collect.
Trust is one of the key ethics of our profession. Lying is a conscious attempt to deceive.
As journalists, we must avoid lying in our reports. This we can do when we tell the full story instead of leaving something important out, telling half-truths, twisting facts, or inventing a lie to suit our purpose.
To be sure, there is no small lie. There is no distinction between a harmless and a serious lie. Every lie will be accounted for on the judgement day, and being a journalist will not be an excuse for not being truthful.
Leviticus 19: 11 states “ ….. neither lie to one another” not to you’re your colleagues, editors, your sources, readers and others. Proverbs 12:22 adds, “The Lord detests lying lips, but delights in those who are trustworthy”
Your prayer should always be that God will help you to resist the temptation to exaggerate, distort, or twist facts for gain, commendation, or influence. Pray that God will deliver you from the fear or pride that pushes people to lie and that no unclean or manipulative word proceeds from my lips or writing.
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Photo: Cardiff, 1998
