In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.

Cronkite’s remark frames truth-seeking as an active, disciplined process rather than a passive reception of claims. “Both sides” points to the journalistic ethic of hearing competing accounts, testing them against evidence, and resisting the comfort of a single narrative—especially in contentious public matters. The line also implies humility: any one perspective is partial, and understanding improves when opposing viewpoints are confronted directly. At the same time, the quote can be read as an endorsement of fairness rather than false equivalence: getting “both sides” is a starting method for inquiry, not a guarantee that both sides are equally supported by facts.