Luvvie Ajayi Jones “Tell the Truth, Even When it Makes You Shake.”

This was … bizarre.

As you may know, I went to college with hopes of becoming an attorney.

In fact, I still kick around the idea of going to law school.

Maybe one day.

So, when there’s a big televised trial coming up I’ll schedule my days (sometimes weeks) around it.

I’ll plop myself on the couch and watch it from opening statements to jury instructions. Then I’ll wait on pins and needles as the jury deliberates.

As I’m sure you’re aware, there was a BIG trial this month. For two weeks, I was glued to HLN, seldom missing a minute of testimony.

But here’s the bizarre part…

Watching the actual trial (not clips of the trial, but the trial itself) and then watching how the news media covered the trial was one of the most appalling things I’ve ever seen in my life.

These people were getting the most BASIC facts wrong. And they repeated them over and over again. Still are.

It’s as if the media knows that the average person won’t take the time to research the facts for themselves, so they just say whatever they want to say. And we believe it.

Now, whether or not you agreed with the verdict is not of my concern. At all.

However, what disturbed me the most was scrolling through social media on the day of the verdict and seeing people repeating the deliberate falsities the news media had been shamelessly circulating.

It’s like the media is trying to divide us.

Before launching into our quick-twitch emotional reactions, it would be prudent for all of us to use the many tools at our disposal to research the facts first.


But we don’t. Instead, we seldom read beyond the headlines. We take social media influencers and activists at their word. We confirm our biases.


When we put our faith and trust in a news media that relies on narratives to serve its own agenda, we’re failing to protect our minds from powerful forces that keep us stuck in anxiety and resentment. Both of which lead to even deeper divisions and more of the same, personally and socially.

Do your own research.



Know the facts before speaking them.

Tell the truth, even if it contradicts the current narrative.

Even if it makes your voice shake.

On today’s episode of the podcast, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, author of Professional Troublemaker, shares her best tips for discerning fake news from the real facts.


Source: The Importance of Truth Telling Now, Luvvie Ajayi


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