Not only has the availability of information has moved the needle from the haystack out into the field; it's also a smaller needle.
The streams of information are flowing past us on all sides rather than neatly unfolding on the table beside a cup of coffee, and the key-points summary is taking center stage. There's not so much discussion of "sound-bites" anymore because it's the status quo. Other things equal, a three-minute youtube video gets more hits than a ten-minute one.
What about the whole truth and nothing but the truth? No time. Tell me the main points. And remember, the more concise the summary, the greater the need to trust the summarizer. Your trusted-advisor status is on the line, every time.
Blago's whole truth is more than 500 hours long. You're going to have to leave something out when you tell that story. The jury decides what's relevant.
John Wooden's truth was a seven-point creed from his father, which he carried around with him in his wallet. The New York Times thought seven points was a bit wordy, and made it even more concise. (They later retracted their redactions.)
There's an art to boiling things down to the relevant facts, not the ones that are important to you but the ones that are important to your listeners. Nothing less. Or more.
Whether you're talking to your kids or presenting to the board of directors, remember you're the funnel, filter and guru.
