In fact, it's not fact

When it comes to decisions in my life, I tend to rely more on my gut than the facts that point me in a direction. I find that your gut will steer you in the direction that you truly want to encounter. Specifically, when decisions come up I like to follow my gut for two reasons. First, because I can live with a bad decision as long as did what I wanted or felt was right. And second, because facts will point you in a direction but if that direction is not the right one for you, then you have to live with following someone else's path for you. The consequences may be exactly the same, but decisions have repercussions and you are the individual that has to deal with them. 

As a scientific writer, i tend to follow a different criteria. I will choose fact over a mere facts. As an amateur writer, writing about fact is not only easier but you have little room for argument. If something is proven, you have the print to back it up. I believe that scientific writers, in general, tend to lean toward the facts side. Mainly due to facts holding merit in the world of science. If something is not proven then readers will criticize the credibility. In my opinion, credibility is everything in scientific writing. 

When the media decides to follow truthfulness rather than truth, credibility is definitely exposed. Similarly with scientific journalism, credibility is everything and if there is lack of credibility than the story is considered "not true". 

The effect of the media is where truth and mere truth become widely different. The media has the ability to alter decisions, very similar to the way your gut and facts can alter your own personal decision. When people listen to the media, they may take that information as fact or fiction and further that in their own personal decisions. When you have the media portraying a half-truth, per say, and people taking it as truth, then you have a conflict. 

Truth can be interpreted however the reader or viewer wants to. If that truth is handled loosely, you see a large difference between the effects of my personal decisions and those that media influence.