"While a journalist's job is to tell what is true, a novelist's job is to tell what is truth." What's your interpretation of this statement? Do you agree with it?

Corky writes that "while a journalist's job is to tell what is true, a novelist's job is to tell what is truth." What's your interpretation of this statement? Do you agree with it?

A journalist's job is to give the facts of a story just as they are without opinion or embellishment. A novelist's job is to tell their "truth" or the truth of the character of which she writes - everyone's truth is different. My sister and I grew up in the same family and experienced many things together but when we get together and discuss an event - her truth is often different from mine.

I agree with scgirl’s statement. I think a journalist’s job is to report on real events and facts, and novelists use their imagination to adhere to the truth of the world they have created, in character, scene and creative truth.

I do agree with it. A novelist has the right to take creative liberties for the sake of their stories plot etc.

While I agree a journalists job is to report factually accurate events, a novelist can write whatever she wants - fantasy, make believe, far fetched ideas, whatever. I don’t think truth is a limiting factor.

I thought this sentence was probably the most profound in the entire book! A journalist usually cannot write from the emotional side of a story whereas a novelist is free to tell about all the feelings and choices their characters make because a novel is a made up story and can be told from whatever perspective the author chooses.

I also agree that the job of a journalist is report the facts but underneath their reporting bias and emotion will also be evident, However, a novelist does have more freedom in the expressing emotions.

A journalist job is to present the facts and accurately describe real events. A novelist has the freedom to develop a story and take it where ever the writer chooses.

I agree with the statement. A journalist should present facts. An author can interpret the facts be revealing feelings and outside influences, There is definitely a difference between the two.

A journalist should definitely tell what is true and we certainly see in this day and age, with the term "alternative facts", that trusting "journalism" is getting harder and harder. I wouldn't say "truth" applies to authors.

A novelist can weave whatever pattern of conversation or experience their creative minds lead them to from imagination through historical facts to fiction to pen on paper (or text in a computer) to bring a story forward for readers. A journalist has the responsibility to leave opinion out of the regurgitation of facts, figures, and data and to qualify if the story is from a perspective of one individual vs another. Too often the commentary associated with a journal article or news story sways the reader or listener toward a planned objective which is unfortunate. Readers of novels are given the true privilege to experience their own perspectives.

A journalist is supposed to report just facts. However it is difficult in some instances to be sure you have the accurate facts. A novelist can take facts and spin them into relevance regarding the plot of the novel.

A journalist’s job is to tell the truth. Does that even happen today..always?
A novelist often represents a character’s normal during an era.
I think scgirl hit it out of the park

I agree with the first part of her statement. When she goes on to say that "a novelist's job is to create a world in which you'd want to live, in which everything s just, even if only in the end," I disagree. We do not yet live in a just world. It is not appropriate to write as if we did.

Although I agree that a journalist’s job is supposed to be about presenting the facts, I’m not sure that they don’t let their own opinions influence their reporting. You would hope they would be unbiased, but many are not. I think a novelist takes you on their perceived journey. For me, both a journalist and novelist will bring into their writing their personal feelings whether they intend to or not. I don’t think they can help themselves!

No I disagree. Truth is absolute and none of our personal "truths" are ever the whole story.

Of course we have our own experiences and lenses through which we view the world and give form to what we believe, but to insist that any of us possess "truth" that is the final word is what is causing so many problems in the world.

I love this statement and there is a big difference in my mind. When you are a true journalist, you do search out the facts and research them as data almost like statistics.
A novelist can also do research on a particular subject or have their ideas come from their mind, their experience(s), and any other kind of trigger. The novelist has the license to write the story with words, ideas, facts, fictions of anything they want. The beginnings, endings, morals, etc., of the story all can different depending on the author's desire.

One of the reasons historical fiction is my favorite genre is because of this statement. I have enjoyed reading and agree with the above responses and the varying perspectives. What I like about the novelist is that they present a multi-dimensional impact of the facts. However, as Julib said above, I still get to experience my own truth.

minim - Just by leaving things in our out of a story, the message gets changed, whether it is intended or not.

I believe the author did exactly this. And she did it with aplomb. The tone and cadences were perfect. This is literature. It is a literary endeavor. That’s the genre most difficult to achieve and excavate. It took courage and skill plus native talent deep in her genes. Hats off to this one of a kind author.

Neither part of that statement has a basis in fact. There are many journalists who write opinion into the facts of a news story, calling it analysis of the news. There are also novelists who do not tell the truth when writing their novels. Some novel writers do not do a thorough job of investigating the facts, and some try to dream up outrageous plots they think will be a selling point.

A novelist tells their truth as they see it. Unfortunately, today, journalists don’t necessarily always report what is true.