"My uncle once lied about that fish he says he caught. Clearly the man has no morals and should never be trusted."

Everything anyone says should be treated with a critical eye and a healthy dose of skepticism. Nobody who's ever achieved anything significant has done it without making mistakes.

The problem is when you throw up your hands and declare the New York Times to be on the same level as the National Enquirer.

Statistics are important here. A source that's reliable 99 times out of 100 is more trustworthy than one that's reliable 1 in 100 times.