Totuuslauseelle

Totuuslauseelle, also known as the "Truth Statement," is a concept in Finnish narrative methodology that was introduced by Krista Korpela and Markku Lehtonen in the 1990s. It is a tool used in the analysis of news reporting and press coverage, particularly in the context of Finnish media.

The truth statement refers to a concise summary of the basic facts of a story, stripped of sensational language and emotive descriptions. This allows analysts to examine the core of the narrative, free from distractions and potential biases that may be introduced through the use of loaded language. The truth statement is intended to provide a clear and factual representation of the facts, uncolored by subjective interpretations or opinions.

To create a truth statement, researchers gather relevant news reports and systematically extract the verifiable facts, discarding any speculative or emotive content. This process often involves cataloging and categorizing the information, identifying differences between various versions of the story, and eliminating ambiguous or contradictory statements. The resulting truth statement should provide a factual and objective summary of the events, highlighting the essential details and providing a clear understanding of the situation.

The concept of the truth statement has been applied in various fields, including journalism, media studies, and communication research. It is seen as a valuable tool for fostering critical thinking, media literacy, and fact-based decision-making. By creating and analyzing truth statements, researchers and scholars can better understand how news is framed, how narratives are constructed, and what messages are conveyed through media.