Tactical Truth
Truth projection combined with operations security, cover and deception, and psychological operations is a standard element of Perception Management and military Information Peacekeeping. The frequently quoted, "first casualty of war is truth" is to be complemented by "truth is the invention of a liar". Projecting objectivity is an important advantage for persuasive influence, constructing authoritative frameworks of reality and using the resulting evidence is a highly tactical practice for Information Dominance. This process of truth construction is boosted by establishing authoritarian belief systems. A simple way to have a message appear to be more truthful and balanced is to provide a two sided viewpoint. For uncritical receivers a two sided message can make a source seem more credible and for targets that are thinking more carefully, the combination of a defense on one side and an attack on the other side makes them think even more systematically and leads them to question the legitimacy of the other side. Therefore two sided messages can provide a double strategy where the source gets more support because receivers like one side and actively dislike the other.
When a number of individuals in a group describe their observations, their descriptions tend to become similar, the group introduces a normative dynamic where judgment is homogenized and an accepted group perception is developed.
Not only in small groups, discussions leaders tend to emerge who will direct the discussion and isolated individuals will tend to conform to the opinion of the majority. And to commit to a certain view will result in the tendency to defend this point of view in order to maintain personal prestige and credibility. A discursive process is not a neutral exchange of information but a role play in which everyone will try to play the part that has emerged out of a position and relationship with the group.
It has also been observed in mainstream media coverage that having to deal with ambiguous information or evidence seems to trigger a tendency of dramatization and exaggeration which is more rooted in a group dynamic of having to cope with high uncertainty then any rational thought process.