The End of 'Objectivity' in New Journalism Era: A Good Thing?

Editor & Publisher by Joe Strupp | Nov. 12, 2008 (Special Report)

Paulson's challenge is one that more and more print journalists are confronting as they are asked to write news stories, blog items, do analysis (often minutes after an event has occurred) and, in many cases, provide commentary for radio, television, and even online outlets. As newspaper Web sites blend in more with blogs that do not hold to the same journalistic rules, there is greater pressure to "write like them" — and sometimes cut corners on the ... Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala

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Michael Bugeja
3.1
 by Michael Bugeja - Nov. 16, 2008

The article discusses the continual erosion of objectivit6y as newspapers migrate to the Web. Some of the experts note journalism pitfalls about what passes for objectivity--quoting sources with opposite opinions; others believe fairness is more important than objectivity, calling the latter a myth. Fact is, we have too few facts in a market-driven Internet environment that segments the audience into affinity groups shaped by opinion so that any opinion is affirmed, however ludicrous. I have battled this type of lazy journalism doubletalk for decades. Objectivity may be impossible to achieve, but striving for an ever higher percentage of it keeps reporters sharp and the audience, informed.

The Columbia Journalism Review quotes my definition of objectivity as the best in recent memory: "Objectivity is seeing the world as it is, not how you wish it were." (I'll provide the link below.)

“I’m not a believer in the myth of objectivity to begin with — what we are talking about is fairness,” says Keith Woods, dean of faculty at the Poynter Institute. “We may aspire to [objectivity], but we have not come close to achieving it.”

Keith needs more time in the classroom with students who have no aspiration whatsoever to objectivity. The more reporters strive toward objectiviity, the fairer they become and the more factual their stories.

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Michael's Rating

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3.1

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from 14 answers
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2.8
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3.0
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3.0
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4.0
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3.0
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2.0
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3.0
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