Journalists Should Not Be Neutral on Racism
Impartiality is one of the fundamental lessons taught in Journalism 101. Above all else, journalists are told they must be unbiased and put the truth first. In most cases, this is essential to the foundations of the industry. Journalists are built to be neutral messengers to the public — but what message do they send when they stand objectively towards racism?
In every profession, there are always certain rules of thumb, the firm, unwavering laws that are upheld unconditionally. However, I believe that there are exceptions to every rule. Even the letter “y” is only “sometimes” a vowel, according to the alphabet song, and that is something we all learned at age five. Revealing injustice and systemic racial discrimination must be exceptions to journalists’ vow of neutrality.
Some people are afraid of change, but change is inevitable. Society is constantly changing, and right now, the world is waking up to the true oppression that has plagued it. Discrimination and inequality exists at every level of society and in every industry. It is not something that is new, but it is something we all need to fight, now more than ever before. It has existed for far too long already.
More than 75 percent of newsroom employees, according to Pew Research Center, are white men. How is it that the industry that is supposed to be a voice of the people is dominated by the most privileged of the human race? As a Chinese American woman, my pursuit of a career in this field almost seems pointless and unreasonable. But I believe in being a driving force for change. Journalism has never been known for its diversity, yet that should only prompt more education on racism. This should be a necessary part of every journalist’s training and career.
Recently, The Boston Globe, Buzzfeed and other news organizations have risen to the occasion, standing in solidarity with the Black community and condemning racism. The Associated Press even updated their style guide to capitalize the letter “b” when referencing the Black community. Newspapers nationwide, from college to mainstream, are finally catching on. Journalists are coming to the realization that this injustice is unacceptable.
However, some newsrooms still debate about whether to take sides on such a “political” issue. This is not politics. This is about equality. This is about liberty and justice for all. This is about building a better humanity. These are issues that cannot have bystanders. Journalists need to do better.
It is time for journalists to uplift underrepresented voices in both its coverage and its own industry. People of color deserve to tell their story, and people of color deserve to write about it.
Objectivity has no place in racism, and racism has no place in this world.
