It is subtler than that, but I am surprised by the ratios. Journalists do not themselves uncover truths. They uncover material and details that can point to a

It is subtler than that, but I am surprised by the ratios. Journalists do not themselves uncover truths. They uncover material and details that can point to a truth. And the core of the problem is that journalism is slow. In the time it takes to fact-check an investigative article, the spinmeisters have had ample time to do what they do best. Namely, set up smoke and mirrors. The power asymmetry is painful, and I have no doubt about this being even a recent thing. There's a quote attributed to Mark Twain on the subject: “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”