In 1964, Frank Sinatra covered a Frank Loesser tune called “I Believe in You” from Loesser’s Pulitzer-snagging Broadway smash “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” In the song, Sinatra croons, “You have the cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth.”
Writer, journalist (and 1953 University of Alabama alum) Gay Talese, who profiled Sinatra in one of the most revered pieces of journalism in the 20th century, would argue that he, however, is not a seeker of truth. And I would agree. And I would also agree and continue to argue that this paradox does not make Talese any less of a journalist. Maybe just more pragmatic – an ethical characteristic that could benefit the future of the public’s perception of the media.
“I see many, many different points of view,” Talese told Robert S. Boynton in an interview published in Boynton’s “The New New Journalism.” “So my point of view is a point of view that sees many sides! So where is the truth in that?” (Talese’s annotated version of the story is here.)
When deciphering what it really means to “seek the truth and report it,” journalists must look at truth, like Talese, and discover their relationship to it. Most basically, this can be divided into three theories: correspondence, coherence and pragmatic.
Those who align with the correspondence theory believe in truth-telling and objectivity in the media, something Talese denounces.
“I believe that that editorial choices about what appears in newspapers and magazines are so subjective that you almost never get the whole truth,” Talese said. “The editor’s fingerprints are on what he chooses to publish. The cast and characters in ‘The Kingdom and the Power,’ if nothing else, show you that there ain’t no such thing as ‘objective journalism.’”
While some journalists argue that objectivity is a fine and achievable goal, the motion of the Society of Professional Journalists to remove the term from its code of ethics in its 1996 revision supports Talese’s claim. If complete objectivity isn’t a realistic goal to aspire to, why should journalists continue to declare that they report in that manner?
The Coherence Theory relates to cognitive dissonance, or the idea of receiving new information that conflicts with what the journalist knows already knows. In response to this new information, the views can either be altered or remain the same. While this view supports one’s beliefs, it can be associated with closed-minded ideas that suggest incomplete research and reporting by journalists.
The Theory of Pragmatism aligns with Talese’s view of truth in journalism. Pragmatism is based in relativism, which allows the journalist to acknowledge how one’s perspective of an event influences the perceived facts and truth.
“There is no such thing as absolute truth,” Talese told Boynton. “Reporters can find anything they want to find. Every reporter brings the totality of his battle scars to the event. A reporter never gets it. He gets what he is capable of getting, what he wants to get.”
Talese wrote “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold” without direct interviews from Sinatra. He then composed 15,000 words for Esquire, still full of detail and in a narrative style.
Following the article in the 1970s, Tom Wolfe christened Talese a New Journalist, a category encompassing long-form non-fiction resembling the immersion journalism techniques of the likes of Hunter S. Thompson and others.
Although Talese recognizes this was meant as a compliment, he does not welcome the New Journalist label, which could be attributed to the fact that his works are less surreal and more journalistic and research-based.
Simply put: “That’s all bullshit,” Talese told Boynton.
Talese prefers to write in a scene-oriented short-story style that uses real people and their real names, he said. And his background as a copy boy and reporter for the New York Times reiterated his need for accuracy in his work. The New Journalism trend quickly became associated with profile stories that didn’t include the months and years of research and reporting Talese put into his work, and he no longer wanted to associate with the genre.
Talese works on one story at a time, following a meticulous writing method of pinning sentences to the wall, making each page – or scene – of his work tailored and concise.
“I prefer today to praise the humble but honest work that should come with any journalism, new or old: reporting,” said Maria Henson, 1994 Neiman Fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner in editorial writing.
Her article, “‘Why’s this so good?’ No. 39: Gay Talese diagnoses Frank Sinatra,” attributes the story’s success to the details about Sinatra’s origins, family life, minor life characters and vivid imagery. All factors that relate back to diligent reporting, rather than writing about objective truth.
Some may argue that setting a goal for all journalists to report in the detail of Talese is unrealistic. And I agree. However, I think that Talese’s practice of pragmatic reporting is an attainable goal for all journalists.
Instead of claiming to report in a robotic fashion, presenting ourselves to the public as omniscient bearers of complete truth, we, as journalists, should adopt a pragmatic title. The public should be aware of our circumstance and our human, relative view of the truth.
This pragmatic view of truth can bring journalists back to the level of reality they are reporting upon. Combining accurate reporting with a pragmatic view of truth places us on the same level as the people we are writing for and about.
“Although I can’t start the process being someone’s companion, that is my ultimate goal,” Talese told Boynton. “I need to stay with someone long enough for me to observe their life change in some significant way. I want to travel through time with them, to put myself in a position to see what they see.”