“The only thing you can believe in the papers is the date” is a saying used by those who don’t trust the newspapers. The origin of the saying is unknown.
   
“The only thing you can believe in newspapers is the date”—from Israel—was cited in print in September 1991. “The readers say the only thing true in the papers is the date”—from China—was cited in December 1991.
   
     
27 September 1991, Jerusalem (Israel) Post, “Chance Encounter in Mea She’arim,” pg. A17, col. 4:
“The only thing you can believe in newspapers is the date,” he (Reb Aharon—ed.) said.
   
Los Angeles (CA) Times
Have the 10 Amendments Inspired Freedom? Six Foreign Prespectives : CHINA : For a Brief Moment, a Free Press Flowered
December 15, 1991 | Liu Binyan | Liu Binyan does research for the Princeton China Initiative, a program, at Princeton University, that includes more than a dozen Chinese dissidents who cannot return home
(...)
The media in China has retreated to its role during the Cultural Revolution. The readers say the only thing true in the papers is the date, the only item fit to be called news, the weather forecast.
   
5 May 1995, Baltimore (MD) Jewish Times, “Bad News For Journalism: Bosses of Israel’s two major papers are jailed on charges of wiretapping each other’s operations” by Larry Derfner, pg. 44:
One passer-by outside Beit Sokolow expressed what now seems a popular attitude in Israel: “The only thing I believe in the newspapers is the date.”
 
Google Groups: alt.rock-n-roll.acdc
I thought you Yanks knew how to conduct a war.
Goulash
3/30/03
(...)
I personally believe that the only thing that you can believe in most newspapers is the date.
 
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silverwanderer
‏@silverwanderer
thinks that the only thing you can believe in the papers is the date
7:01 AM - 21 Mar 2008
 
Google Groups: La Tercia Real Owners
Interesting News Articles
DDJ
3/29/08
(...)
As I was once told the only thing you can genuinely believe in newspapers is the date.
 
Twitter
Hey Paul!
‏@Bonedwarf
@bobbyllew Bruce Forsythe once said the only thing you can believe in the papers is the date.
5:07 PM - 2 Feb 2009
 
4 July 2009, The Times (London, UK), “Armstrong return casts huge shadow over the peloton” by Jeremy WHittle, pg. 19:
Contador now claims to be motivated only by Armstrong’s presence and Bruyneel dismissed suggestions yesterday that his Spanish leader had been so keen to escape Astana this year that he had started negotiations elsewhere. “The only thing you can believe in the newspapers are the date and the price,” Bruyneel said.
 
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Jules 💕
‏@Jules_OMJD
@MrPeterAndre The only thing you can believe in the papers these days is the date at the top of the page! Good luck with getting with things
5:38 AM - 6 Jul 2009
 
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Anthony Shaw
‏@AnthonyShaw_
The only thing you can believe in the newspapers is the date.
5:51 AM - 20 Nov 2010
 
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TIMOTHY MORGAN-OWEN
‏@timmorganowen
@joancollinsobe @adamhelliker @sundayexpress1 The only thing you can believe in the newspapers is the date,  the next day that’s incorrect.
4:07 AM - 27 Oct 2013
 
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Geoff Kay
‏@geoffasenna
Only two things you can believe in the papers. The price and the date.
6:39 AM - 17 Nov 2016 from North East, England
 
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Karen OReilly
‏@kaz444oreilly
@THEWIZARD1962 Nah i don’t.  The only thing you can believe in the papers and tv is the date !!!x
8:46 AM - 7 Jan 2017