Do powerful individuals and organisations hold a monopoly over the truth? Power arises from a variety of sources. The Oxford English Dictionary defines power as deriving from “delegated authority”, occurring “from within” or emanating from “the ability to act”. The episodes “Smaller fish to fry” and “The Siege” from Frontline directed by Rob Sitch et al; The Crucible by Arthur Miller; and The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, all provide damning evidence that whoever holds the power invariably succeeds in owning the truth. Furthermore, an insidious result of this ownership is that the truth is suppressed, distorted, manipulated and fabricated. The one in whom power is invested seeks personal or financial gain, retribution or fame; while the victims ultimately suffer from loss, misinformation, misrepresentation, or even death.
Power, arising from delegated authority, usually controls the truth via suppression. In Frontline the executive producer, Brian, exercises his delegated authority to control the release of truth to viewers. In the episode “Smaller Fish to Fry” Mike Moore has discovered a “massive [bank] cover-up”, yet Brian does not want it aired due to pressure from the upper echelons of pow

Tom Ripley gains power from his ability to distort the truth. He uses his astute mind to convolute the truth, by creating an intricate web of deceit. Tom’s ability to misrepresent the truth about Dickie and Freddy’s death is demonstrated when questioned by the police. He pretends “to think this one over carefully“. He is so self-assured he believes he could “lead them on indefinitely”. His watertight defense meant that the police “suspected him of nothing”. At this point in time, Tom fabricates evidence; a “quarrel” between “Signors Mee-lays [Freddy] and Greenleaf [Dickie] over Signorina Sherwood [Marge, Dickie’s lover]”. He gains confidence from this experience, and greedily fashions an even more intricate web of lies, which he presents as the truth. Tom, through his acting ability and misrepresentation of the truth, gains wealth and freedom. Ironically, he is left with the constant fear of “policeman waiting for him on every pier he ever approached”.

Whoever holds the power usually succeeds in owning the truth. Delegated power through the weight of an institution, or via line authority suppresses the truth, through compulsion to obey. Power derived through acting ability controls the truth through manipulation, fabrication and distortion. The individual often gains personally from this control, although occasionally there is a pang of remorse. The victims of the suppression of information are often those without power. John Proctor, Freddy, and the siege hostages all lack the complete facts, and suffer the ultimate punishment: death.