“To be persuasive, We must be believable,
To be believable, We must be credible,
To be credible, We must be truthful.”

—  Edward R. Murrow

Speaking as the Director of USIA, in testimony before a Congressional Committee (May 1963) http://pdaa.publicdiplomacy.org/?page_id=6
Context: American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful, but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and lies are the worst. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. It is as simple as that.

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Edward R. Murrow 67
Television journalist 1908–1965

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