The difference between a fact and an interpretation
Launch library · evergreen read
A fact is something that can be checked and confirmed independently of anyone's opinion, such as a recorded figure or a documented event that occurred. An interpretation is a judgement about what that fact means, why it happened, or how significant it is, and reasonable people can interpret the same fact differently.
Blurring the line between the two can make an argument seem more settled than it actually is in reality, presenting a contested interpretation with the same confidence as an uncontested fact, which can backfire once an audience notices the difference and starts to question the whole case being made.
Clearly separating what is known from what is being argued about it tends to make a campaign's case more durable over time, since it invites genuine debate about interpretation while keeping the underlying facts themselves on solid, independently checkable ground for everyone involved to examine, whatever conclusions they ultimately choose to draw from it.