Objectivity in a Digital World

Brigitte Meisse
bm179214@ohio.edu

For years, objectivity has been a viewed as a fundamental pillar of quality journalism. In fact, pieces are often judged as "good journalism" based on their ability to share both sides of a story without imposing opinions onto the audience.

With the state of today's society, media is viewed as polarizing. The president attacks the news media and questions their credibility, making it increasingly difficult for journalists to maintain their objectivity.

While all of this happens in the world of news and information, constant advances are being made in the world of digital media. Between social media platforms and mobile devices, we are all constantly connected. Researchers found that we are now connected to everyone in the world through six degrees of separation.

Picture via https://yourstory.com/2016/08/tools-social-media-content/

As we are all constantly connected, the question arises on whether or not journalists should remain objective and unbiased on their personal social media platforms when employed by new networks. Do journalists have the right to express their opinions on social media or does that impede on their ability to be seen as objective?

In theory, writing for an organization could be seen as separate from your personal life, but now both your work and personal life are all connected within the click of a button. The boundaries blend together.

For example, Politico disqualifies potential new hires based on Twitter feeds. This isn't a new practice. It's been proven that employers scan social media feeds during the hiring process, but this practice in journalism might take on a whole new meaning. Now hiring newsroom managers can assess the perceived objectivity of applicants.

Is this a fair practice? Are we, as journalists, limiting the free speech of our colleagues?

Among all this confusion, one thing is for sure. It's time to rethink what it really means to be objective and where we draw those boundaries. Ethics, like all practices, must adapt with changing times including the current political climate and the rise of digital platforms.