Glasser
By objectivity I mean a particular view of journalism and the press, a frame of reference used by journalists to orient themselves in the newsroom and in the community. By objectivity I mean, to a degree, ideology; where ideology is defined as a set of beliefs that function as the journalist's "claim to action." As a set of beliefs, objectivity appears to be rooted in a positivist view of the world, an enduring commitment to the supremacy of observable and retrievable facts. This commitment, in turn, impinges on news organizations' principal commodity – the day's news. Thus my argument, in part, is this: Today's news is indeed biased – as it must inevitably be – and this bias can be best understood by understanding the concept, the conventions, and the ethic of objectivity. Specifically, objectivity in journalism accounts for – or at least helps us understand – three principal developments in American journalism; each of these developments contributes to the bias or ideology of news.
Objectivity has changed – why hasn’t journalism?
The following is cross-posted from a guest post I wrote for Wannabe Hacks. Objectivity is one of the key pillars of journalistic identity: it is one of the ways in which we identify ourselves as a profession. But for the past decade it has been subject to increasing criticism from those (and I include myself here) who suggest that sustaining the appearance of objectivity is unfeasible and unsustainable, and that transparency is a much more realistic aim. Recently I’ve been revisiting some of the research on journalistic objectivity for my inaugural lecture at City University. But as I only mention objectivity once in that lecture, I thought it was worth fleshing out the issue further. Things change
Principles of Journalism
The first three years of the Project’s work involved listening and talking with journalists and others around the country about what defines the work. What emerged out of those conversations are the following nine core principles of journalism: 1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth
The Invention of Journalism Ethics: The Path to Objectivity and Beyond - UBC Reports
UBC Reports | Vol. 50 | No. 10 | Nov. 4, 2004 By Stephen J. Ward (McGill-Queen's University Press)
Rethinking Journalism Ethics, Objectivity in the Age of Social Media
In response to the rapidly changing media environment, many schools and academic programs are offering novel approaches to journalism education. This seismic change creates tensions within programs, especially when it comes to how to teach ethics for this increasingly mixed media. In an earlier column, I put forward some principles for teaching ethics amid this media revolution. But these principles do not address some specific problems. Whither objectivity? Today, students don’t just learn how to report straight news on deadline.
James O'Keefe Is Capitalizing on the Cult of Journalistic Objectivity - Conor Friedersdorf - Politics
His latest sting is yet more evidence that pretending reporters have no opinions or biases is no longer tenable Here's how Brooke Gladstone, host of the NPR show On the Media, summed up one obligation of professional journalists: "Checking your life at the door is -- at least for now -- a condition for working at traditional media news outlets. When I interviewed Lianne Hanson as she retired from her host job, she said she was looking forward to being able to express herself freely and publicly in the world." Is this a smart norm? It isn't, I argued in a recent post, and I want to return to it, because subsequent events have only reinforced the point. "It may seem like a good idea to avoid the 'perception of bias' by insisting that media employees hide who they are from the audience.
The Myth of Objectivity in Journalism
by This page has been accessed since 29 May 1996. The oft-stated and highly desired goal of modern journalism is objectivity, the detached and unprejudiced gathering and dissemination of news and information.
SPJ Code of Ethics
SPJ Code of Ethics Revised September 6, 2014 at 4:49 p.m. CT at SPJ’s National Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
