Is It Possible to Be Completely Unbiased?

Madison Massey
mm792814@ohio.edu

Photo Courtesy of cartoon stock..com

From the time we are born, were shaping our ideas of how we view the world. From our parents beliefs, what we heard on the playground, to our daily interactions we've been forming who were going to be. 

Is it ever completely possible to not let these values and views effect journalistic writing? Do we want journalism to be completely unbiased? The way I see it, there are pros and cons to having an opinion and voicing it in a place where you normally shouldn't. 

I can see the appeal of wanting to include your opinion in a piece of writing. As a journalist, you have the powerful ability to reach a large audience without much work. I've always believed that a good piece of journalism should display the facts, but also make people think and challenge their beliefs. When giving society information about an awful event that happened, like the recent shootings, why not also leave them with ways thoughts on how this could be prevented? 

As a reader, I'm also just genuinely interested in the opinion of the author. Did they write this because they are passionate about it or because they were assigned to it? Did writing this changed their view on the topic? In my opinion, I would rather their be a politically correct way for a journalist to voice their opinion than none at all. In an article by the Center for Journalism Ethics, writer 'amlacey' said , "If immoderate forms of opinion dominate public discussion, they can do more harm than good to democracy."

The American Press Institute argues that draining an article of biased might also be draining it of humanity.  They go on to ask the question "What if journalists acknowledged that bias does exist, that it is built into the choices they make when deciding what to leave in and what to leave out?"

It is quite odd, and possibly even unfair that we expect journalists to immerse themselves in their jobs, but to not let any of their own personality into the pieces that they write. 

An issue that comes up quite often is the lack of trust that society has for journalists in particular. One reason behind that distrust? Most likely because they are strangers. While I'm not suggesting a lengthy "more about the author" autobiography attached to every news article, I am suggesting that we allow journalists to explain how they formed the opinion they have. I think it's an opportunity to either find a common interest, or get a way for people to obtain a different view on a topic they are familiar with. 

Journalists are people too. I think it is important to remember that after writing an article or reporting it on the news, they go home to their families and are also affected by the topics they report. Letting reporters recognize and explore their own bias could create more trust between journalists and society.