As the owner of one of the fastest growing media and communications company in direct selling I am sometimes asked to look the other way or to rephrase a story or report to lessen the negative view of them by some very powerful people in direct selling. I don’t, because protecting the vulnerable is more important than protecting powerful. The truth is more important than the lie. I was once told by one of the most powerful people in direct selling, “If you tell that story, even though it is true, you will hurt millions of distributors who depend on us”. My reply was, “I didnt create the lie that needs protecting. I didnt create the circumstances that created the lie that so many are depending on. You are, so deal with it.” Recently, Jorge Ramos, the recipient of the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award, given for lifetime achievement in defending press freedom” said it best. Jorge Ramos at the 2014 Committee to Protect Journalists International Press Freedom Awards The best of journalism happens when we take a stand: when we question those who are in power, when we confront the politicians who abuse their authority, when we denounce an injustice, Ramos said before a packed ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The best of journalism happens when we side with the victims, with the most vulnerable, with those who have no rights. The best of journalism happens when we, purposely, stop pretending that we are neutral and recognize that we have a moral obligation to tell truth to power. When we deal with the powerful, we have to take a stand, he went on. I’m a reporter, I don’t want to be your friend. And trust me, you dont want to be my friend. Telling the truth is what keeps HOPE alive no matter how bad it may seem at the time.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:00:01 +0000