Lori Falce: Facts, opinions and political ads

The one thing I struggle with most in my job is not the task of making deadlines — although the editor who waits with well-concealed resignation for my weekend editorials every Friday might disagree.

It is helping people — whether readers or writers — navigate the tightrope between what is fact and what is opinion.

A scene from a movie plays over and over in my head every day. In the Disney/Pixar animated film “Inside Out,” the characters are emotions that live in a little girl’s head. While riding on her “train of thought,” one of them knocks over some boxes and spills the contents.

“Oh no,” says Joy. “These facts and opinions look so similar!”

“Aw, don’t worry about it,” says the little girl’s imaginary friend as he sweeps them into a jumble. “Happens all the time.”

He’s right. It happens every single day, and it can be challenging to explain to letter writers and columnists that, even though their work is representing their opinion, it still has to be built on a bed of facts. And those facts have to be verified.

What makes that even harder to accept, I am sure, is the fact that, right now, we are surrounded by a third category mixed into that messed-up pile: political ads.

Whether from the candidates or any of the political action committees or other organizations crowding the radio, television screens, internet or mailboxes with a toxic smog of messaging, political ads seem to exist in a third state of matter.

They are not rock-hard facts but more like a gravel of reality — just enough truth to stick to everything like sand at the beach. They are not really opinion but are dressed up like trick-or-treaters masquerading as free speech.

They are persuasion. Sales pitches. They are the infomercials of political discourse, selling you products you know are not the amazing inventions promised. They will be shiny and novel when you pull them out of the box, but they will likely end up, at worst, a broken promise or, at best, a disappointment that does the job but at what cost?

Am I throwing mud at any particular candidate or office? No. It’s an issue so common someone really should invent an amazing product to stamp out these stubborn stains on our electoral process for the low, low price of just $19.99. Call now and get free shipping!

The problem with these “as seen on TV” products — be they a new kitchen gadget or a political candidate — is not the promise. The sales pitch has its purpose. Look around, and you’ll see people responding. That is the problem. No one seems to realize when they are being turned from voters into customers.

It’s up to us to remember flipping pancakes isn’t rocket science, nothing will really make hard-boiled eggs easier to peel and, yes, even the best politician is still a politician. Don’t believe the ads. Separate the facts from the opinions. Do your own research — from sources that aren’t just infomercials.

If we do that, we take away the power the ads have to control us. The messaging becomes noise we can ignore because we have our facts in one neat pile and our opinions about those facts in another. The persuasive sales pitch is identified for what it is and boxed up separately.