>"It is rare for media outlets to publish outright lies; if a fact is presented as a fact, it probably is a fact. " I broadly agree, and my take on the situati

>"It is rare for media outlets to publish outright lies; if a fact is presented as a fact, it probably is a fact. " I broadly agree, and my take on the situation is that journalists "lie" through selectivity, insinuation, and frequency. This isn't quite the same thing as 'spin', but they overlap very much. I also find that very rarely are actual data-point facts in dispute, it is the interpretation wrapped around the facts where the manipulation takes place and the disputes arise.