Facts still matter, and social media is allowing for a wider

Hear, O seeker of truth, the words once uttered by Michael Shellenberger: “Facts still matter, and social media is allowing for a wider range of new and independent voices to outcompete alarmist environmental journalism at legacy publications.” These words are not mere utterances of passing breath, but the echo of an age-old struggle—the battle between truth and distortion, between light and shadow, between the enduring weight of facts and the fleeting cries of fear.

From the dawn of civilization, the elders taught that truth is the bedrock upon which societies are built. Without facts, a people stumble as if blinded in the dark, swayed by whispers of panic and falsehood. In Shellenberger’s cry, we hear the lament of a world in which the guardians of knowledge—once trusted scribes, heralds, and chroniclers—have become prey to sensationalism. In the halls of legacy publications, stories sometimes grow monstrous, exaggerating shadows into looming giants. But behold! In this new age, the digital fire of social media kindles countless smaller torches, granting ordinary men and women the power to pierce the veil and cast forth their voices into the marketplace of ideas.

Consider the tale of the Athenian historian Thucydides, who chronicled the plague that struck Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Amidst terror, rumors ran rampant, and superstition clouded reason. Yet Thucydides, steadfast in his devotion to fact, recorded the events with precision, stripping away myth to leave future generations a record both sobering and enduring. Even then, as now, truth was a shield against fear, and facts a weapon sharper than rumor’s blade. His lesson whispers through time into Shellenberger’s words: that while panic may spread like wildfire, careful observation and honest speech endure like stone.

We must not, however, mistake Shellenberger’s teaching as blind praise of social media, for it too is a double-edged sword. It gives rise to prophets of wisdom and deceivers alike. Yet herein lies the miracle: where once only a few priests of the pen dictated the public’s vision, now countless independent voices may challenge the thrones of authority. The chorus of many, though chaotic, carries within it the possibility of truth refined like iron in the forge—tested by fire, beaten into clarity, and wielded as a tool for justice.

Mark well, children of tomorrow: alarmism has ever been a profitable trade. In the medieval days, wandering preachers foretold dooms to stir fear in the masses, securing donations and loyalty. In modern times, some who hold the quills of journalism employ similar arts, proclaiming calamity beyond reason to capture eyes and hearts. But those who cling to reason, who honor the facts, walk a nobler path. For in truth, even in the darkest predictions, lies a tempered hope—the possibility of solutions, the dignity of understanding, the strength of action.

The lesson, therefore, is this: seek truth above noise, and honor the fact above the frenzy. In your own life, let not your heart be carried away by cries of disaster without substance. Before you share words, ask: Are they true? Are they borne of knowledge, not mere fear? When you hear a claim, look beyond the voice that speaks it. Search for the evidence, seek multiple witnesses, and weigh them as the wise once weighed gold upon the scales.

Practical action lies before you like a path through the forest. Follow those who strive for reason, not those who trade in constant dread. Support voices—be they writers, researchers, or neighbors—who rise not to terrify, but to illuminate. And when you speak, let your voice be as the voice of Thucydides: calm, measured, firm, and faithful to reality. Thus, you may become not a mere echo of fear, but a bearer of light.

So remember, O wayfarer: facts still matter. They are the stones upon which you build your house, the compass that guides your voyage, the shield that guards your soul from manipulation. Hold fast to them, and in doing so, you shall help shape a world where wisdom prevails over fear, and truth reigns above all.