The Problem of Truth in Journalism on the Verge of Epochs

Abstract

The present article presents the results of a historiographical study of truth in Ukrainian journalism in the transition period from Soviet to post-Soviet journalism. The research relevance is associated with the growing crisis of truth as a communication category and the advent of the post-truth era globally. In order to solve the complex problem of truth in social communication and journalism, the study aims to clarify the components of the truth problem in Ukrainian journalism at the change of the Soviet and post-Soviet eras and to identify causal patterns of truth transformation as well as social consequences of this process. Methodologically, the study is based on analysis of research on the truth phenomenon within the framework of the social communication approach. I reveal four components of the truth problem: “understanding the truth”, “establishing the truth”, “telling the truth”, “perceiving the truth”. Attention is drawn to a theoretical error regarding truthfulness in journalism and its social consequences. The study makes conclusions about the need for: recognizing truth as the key axiological and communication category; ; inquiry into the spiritual discourse of truth as one of the ways of scientific cognition of truth in order to extrapolate the results in the social communication and journalism; formation of a truth-oriented position of the journalist through journalism education.