What is good journalism

Good journalism, according to Carl Bernstein, is "a simple matter but difficult to achieve", namely "trying to obtain the best attainable version of the truth."

I wonder if, in that definition, it might be better to replace "version" with "approximation". I am not sure I like the idea that there are different versions of truth, other than the different versions that different people might hold of the same truth.

I also wonder if the function of the journalist is simply to "obtain" that approximation rather than to convey the information that would enable the public access to the best approximation of truth.

The truth about what? Bernstein is famous for his work with Bob Woodward in exposing the Watergate conspiracy. Using that as the example, consider several truths:

• The truth about the event of June 17, 1972 in which a group of men broke into the offices of the Democratic National Committee.
• The truth about the effort of the Republican campaign officials to obtain information about the Democratic plans for the election campaign.
• The truth about the efforts of Republican campaign officials to use unfair and sometimes illegal steps to ensure a win in the election.
• The truth about the overall efforts of the Republican campaign in the election.
• The truth about the role of President Nixon and his inner circle of White House advisors to subvert election procedures and then to cover up what they had done.
• The truth about the weaknesses in our democracy that if corrected might prevent such abuses in the future.

Some of these "truths" would be instrumental in revealing others. Some of these truths seem more important than others. Perhaps good journalism is revealing the best available approximations of a series of truths to create an effective narrative to help the public understand an important issue of public policy.