Objectivity vs Open Journalism

Whitney Hare
WH296805@ohio.edu

Journalists are supposed to keep their opinions to themselves. We are to be innocent bystanders who only report the facts. If the slightest bit of subjectivity slips into our reporting, we are biased and unreliable. Yet people want to see more and more into the world of journalism. We’re supposed to tweet, and blog, and tell the world how our workday is going. But somehow in all of that, we still have to hide our thoughts and feelings to remain objective. So this dilemma begs the question, would viewers rather get more behind the scenes information, or “unbiased” news.

Do you want a Blog or a Story?
This constantly updated view into the newsroom is a new phenomenon. Whether it is a fad or the future is yet to be seen. But if it truly is the future, are we risking our objectivity or just throwing it out the window. If I have to send out a tweet every hour from the newsroom to update viewers on what I’m doing and write a blog at least once a week, can I really keep myself and my opinions out of that? If I have to carefully sensor exactly what I say in that information, am I tweeting and blogging, or writing another story? The great thing about this new technology is you can let yourself into your work. You aren’t just writing another story, you’re reacting. If people want objective fair journalism, go to the story. If they want an opinion, go to the reporter blog.

Are we ever objective?
If people want objective news, they shouldn’t be asking for blogs. It isn’t impossible to keep yourself and your opinions out of these, but it defeats the purpose if you do. Journalists are in fact human, contrary to popular belief. Stories affect us; sometimes even to the point where being objective is out of the question. I believe viewers/readers must decide if they want objectivity, or if they want to be able to connect with the reporter. There are so many “ifs,” “ands,” and “buts” to this debate, and it’s not exactly black and white. I’m not even sure which side I sit on in this debate. I have my opinions, but I’m not sure I want to share them with every Joe Schmoe. Do I want to know what other journalists think about certain topics, or am I going to find them less creditable if we don’t share the same beliefs? I don’t know the answer, but if journalism continues down this path, I think we’ll have the answer sooner rather than later.

Objectivity: 1. the ability to perceive or describe something without being influenced by personal emotions or prejudices. 2. The actual existence of something, without reference to people’s impressions or ideas. 3. The quality of being accurate and independent of individuals perceptions