Our Truth, Your Truth, and Nothing But The Truth?
By Nayelis Vargas
Objectivity in the media is a hard topic to touch on. For those of you who don’t know, objectivity in regards to journalism is more or less how we as journalists choose to discuss and inform the news we have to share with our audiences. To narrow it down, it has to do with how we express ourselves in our writing and whether or not we divulge with our readers our own beliefs, “sides” and in how that information affects your viewpoints.
To be fair, it’s a bit hard to avoid being objective when much of what journalists write about have to do with subjects that play a huge role in our societies. And even if they don’t, it still gets difficult at times.
Now the real question here today is, is it okay for journalists to be objective?
Well. for starters every informer of the news deserves to be allowed the ability to voice their opinions. I mean what kind of publications or societies would be if we minimize the voices of our writers. We’d be almost like those other countries who are restricted by their government via a tough wall of censorship. Which again goes against everything that the U.S has fought against and argued for.
The issue with objectivity and why we need to be cautious of how exactly and in what circumstances we use it for, is because what we tell our audiences has the power to influence how they think. AND, it also helps perpetuate stigma already circulating the atmosphere that at times also has the power to shift political, as well as morally ethical decisions.
Take a look at John Oliver’s HBO show, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and his episode titled “Sinclair Broadcast Group.”
At about 1:09, he says “Local news fills an important role in finding stories that the national news is missing…Studies found that local news is trusted more than national news.”
Then he also goes into some detail with this broadcast group in showing how their objectivity plays a role in their broadcasts. Sometimes these channels and these broadcasts are only reflecting what their sponsors or bosses want the people to see.
And they have the power to influence billions of viewers into thinking or being sympathetic to the beliefs portrayed in their chosen modes of medium being that to the audience, these are trusted channels for source. To the audience, these journalists know what’s best. Objectivity is great of course. But I believe it’s at its best in opinion pieces, such as critiques, reviews. Sometimes it’s even better in terms of RELATING to your audience.
But does objectivity tell the truth? Maybe, it all depends on what the truth means to the writer, and it all depends on how its being used.
