Objectivity and the Public’s Opinion
By Darriel Ortiz
Many consumers of the press follow certain news outlets specifically for their objective reporting. When a reporter puts a slight hint of opinion or they take a stand on a certain issue readers label journalists as untrustworthy. I disagree with the narrative that reporting without objectivity means reporters do not care about the truth. On the contrary, I believe the truth can be told subjectively especially if it comes from an honest space and is well researched. Credibility should not be lost if journalists don’t express themselves objectively.
While some favor objectivity, others like Cenk Uygur, host of the online news show The Young Turks, believes it service to favor the status quo. Instead of having journalists question all sides of the political parties, mainstream media hides their bias by asking the tough questions on the least favorable party. Some may argue objectivity and neutrality in journalism are different, however they seem to both leave a chance for mainstream media to apply their biases. I agree that corporate media should press the tough questions on all parties and not just the anti-establishment.
Furthermore, objectivity creates the narrative that journalists job should just be to state information without any bias. Jay Rosen frequently tweets on the “View from Nowhere” concept that currently runs through our mainstream media. It places journalists in between two extreme issues and have them report without bias in an attempt to be fair. I believe that reports must call out falsehoods and be prepared to back them up with some well research facts. Media constantly attempts to tell us how to think without giving us all the details.
Director of News Curation at Buzz Feed Sara Yasin points out, “everybody has bias” and it’s up to all reporters to check their bias before diving into a story. I agree that we must come to an internal conclusion to report the stories as accurately and fairly as possible. Objectivity is difficult for all because we are human beings with opinions and at times it’s hard to restrain from them.
In the end the reader will have to decide if they prefer objective reporting or not. In most cases because of the constant manipulation of media people will be skeptical. Objectivity is not sinister, I believe it is a form of reporting that works well in most cases. In other cases, journalist should be free to express themselves without harming their credibility. Many journalists fear being criticized for not being objective but I believe those that take a stand are the brave ones.
