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News & ArtsTuesday, February 17, 2009
City / Media The Objective
Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 12:07 PM
I'm on my way in a few moments to the University of Washington, where Seattle Times reporter Warren Cornwall has asked me to speak to his journalism class about objective journalism vs. non-objective journalism. For this lesson, Cornwall and I are each supposed to prepare brief "opening statements" in favor of our publications' respective practices. So, he's making a statement about Times-style objective journalism and I'm making one about Stranger-style non-objective journalism.
Earlier this morning we shared our prepared statements with each other, and, well, it was somewhat amusing. Cornwall's begins:
There is no such thing as objective journalism.
Mine begins:
There is no truly objective journalism.
Don't know how much of a debate this will end up being, but seems interesting already.
4
Eli, both statements are Journalism 101 or even Communications 201
It's not like you've stumbled upon some brilliant coincidence.
And don't forget, when it comes to standards and what this next generation is striving for, you are the enemy.
the only academic revalence the Stranger has is sequestered to alternative media.
al-tern-a-tive.
not viable. But have fun feeling important.
It's not like you've stumbled upon some brilliant coincidence.
And don't forget, when it comes to standards and what this next generation is striving for, you are the enemy.
the only academic revalence the Stranger has is sequestered to alternative media.
al-tern-a-tive.
not viable. But have fun feeling important.
5
Will you teach the class about "parlor games" you play at The Stranger regarding which journalists in Seattle are about to lose their jobs?
Will you tell them about how you asked an intern to spend hours counting P-I blog comments and putting them into a spreadsheet so you could hurl comic insults?
Will you tell them about how you asked an intern to spend hours counting P-I blog comments and putting them into a spreadsheet so you could hurl comic insults?
7
Eli,
I think your statement does reveal an insight. It is arrogant for a news organization to pretend it can be objective and present 'both' sides of the story (especially when there are usually dozens of sides to the story) Everyone and every organization has a point of view, just be honest about it and you will serve your readers well. When I listen to NPR I factor in the liberal bias, when I watch Fox I factor in the conservative bias and I am good with both. It is when an organization won't admit (to it's audience, or sometimes to itself) that it does have a bias/point of view that it loses credibility and the reader/audience quickly calls BS. The ideal world is not a monopoly paper that presents both sides of the story but a throng of noisy opinionated voices all competing.
I think your statement does reveal an insight. It is arrogant for a news organization to pretend it can be objective and present 'both' sides of the story (especially when there are usually dozens of sides to the story) Everyone and every organization has a point of view, just be honest about it and you will serve your readers well. When I listen to NPR I factor in the liberal bias, when I watch Fox I factor in the conservative bias and I am good with both. It is when an organization won't admit (to it's audience, or sometimes to itself) that it does have a bias/point of view that it loses credibility and the reader/audience quickly calls BS. The ideal world is not a monopoly paper that presents both sides of the story but a throng of noisy opinionated voices all competing.
8
7: these students are far more aware of the topic than you and probably even Eli.
They are doing exercises and homework assignments picking apart "framing" (the high-order hair-splitting of what the lay person calls objectivity), analyzing who is quoted and when and where, the image chosen for the story, and 10 other angles that you aren't even aware of.
So kiss it.
They are doing exercises and homework assignments picking apart "framing" (the high-order hair-splitting of what the lay person calls objectivity), analyzing who is quoted and when and where, the image chosen for the story, and 10 other angles that you aren't even aware of.
So kiss it.
9
8
wow.
exercises and homework, you say?
no wonder newspapers are on their last swirl down the loo.
wow.
exercises and homework, you say?
no wonder newspapers are on their last swirl down the loo.
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