Hey folks, welcome to the very first subscriber thread I’ve done on here. The intention is to spark a thought-provoking conversation, and to assuage my confusion over certain topics. It’s easy as 123 — just comment below and I’ll reply with my thoughts.
Today’s topic is the age-old issue of journalistic objectivity. When I was in journalism school, I was told at every turn about the importance to remain objective — gather as many facts as possible to report in a way that’s fair to all sides.
But as Gina Baleria, assistant professor at Sonoma State University, wrote for Poynter, “objectivity has actually hindered us from adequately covering truth, giving context and achieving equity.”
And given the current political landscape — where the left and right have become increasingly inflamed — even taking a position in the middle, or as former New YorkTimes editor Abe Rosenthal described it as being “above the battle”, could be interpreted as adopting a centrist ideology.
All of this has left me utterly confused, yet increasingly determined to mitigate my own biases and hone my objectivity. For example, the imbalance of women in the media compared to men is an issue close to my heart. More women, and people from all backgrounds for that matter, is objectively a positive thing that leads to better journalism. To some, however, that’s a subjective view.
In a way, objectivity has never been so difficult to accomplish, but is it less of a thing than ever before? I guess objectivity should be an aim, not necessarily the end point.
It’s your turn. Whether you're a reporter, editor, podcaster, photographer, videographer, audience specialist, let's hear it.How do you deal with journalistic objectivity?
I agree, I think objectivity is a method/aim and not a state of being.