Objectivity

Journalism is the art -- or science, depending on how a college classifies the subject -- of writing, editing, and distributing news for publication or broadcast. In theory, news organizations should present such information in an objective manner, taking a neutral position on the issues at all times. Reality, however, tells a different story.

According to communications scholar Michael Schudson, objectivity is the principle of separating facts from values. But facts, via the invention of propaganda, are used to support or dispute one's values -- thus, they’re intertwined ... and since facts are used to document illusion as well as truth, objectivity is an ideal that can never be achieved.

Whether in print, on radio, on television, or on the Internet, most people have an opinion on a given news topic, based on evidence known to them and their personal beliefs. But when one throws propaganda into the mix, bias takes precedence over facts. Labels like "liberal" and "conservative" are thrown into the dialogue like a red herring, politicizing an issue and obscuring the truth. In the meantime, the real issue gets lost in a sea of tangents. Using such mechanisms in a news story fly in the face of objectivity.

This problem can be traced back to how the lines that once separated advertising, journalism, and public relations have now become blurred. While all three industries are aimed at reaching a mass audience, advertising is in the business of selling a product ... and public relations is in the business of selling a client's image (although, if one thinks about it, a client's image is a product).

Bill O'Reilly, host of the Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, pointed out in a Court TV interview with Catherine Crier in 2000 that the biggest sign of objectivity's demise was when publicists started dictating to journalists the terms under which their clients could be interviewed. "Too many news programs have become public relations-friendly," he said, naming shows like CNN's Larry King Live as an example.

As for advertising, their revenue is the backbone for many news organizations; without it, these outlets wouldn't be in business. Such an arrangement is rife with potential conflicts of interest, which benefits the few and hurts the masses. (Think Time Warner and Disney, who proposed a merger of news resources between CNN and ABC in 2002.) When the almighty dollar influences the kind of news being presented to an audience, that also flies in the face of objectivity.

These conflicts are at the heart of what is news. It's defined as information on recent happenings ... but Neil Postman would say otherwise. In his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, the communications theorist argues that today's news organizations have turned news into "infotainment," presenting its audience with blurbs and sound bites instead of useful information that can actually be applied to one's life.

The way Postman sees it, news no longer has any relationship to its audience because "the value of information (wasn't) tied to any function it might serve in (one's) social and political decision-making (process)." Elaborating on this point, he said "the abundant flow of information had little or nothing to do with those to whom it was addressed -- it was just new." If that's the case, news and information are hardly synonymous, because the latter concerns itself with quality and relevance, while the former is bogged down in quantity and novelty.

Speaking of novelty, the concept of objectivity was a novel idea. It served as a model for journalists to do their job of asking who, what, when, where, why, and how, as well as analyzing the answers within a broader context. However, they're also human, and are subjective by nature -- not objective.

People interpret events that shape their lives through prisms of personal beliefs and life experiences. When a story is being edited, it's evaluated according to a series of do's and don'ts (e.g., do tell the truth ... but don't offend an advertiser's sensibilities) between the time it's submitted for publication / broadcast and the time it's presented to an audience. As the following scenario shows, the "subjective" reporting occurs beforehand.

Thirty news outlets attend a press conference or are present at a photo opportunity event. In all likelihood, the reporters won't have the same set of notes -- nor will the photojournalists take the exact same picture. That's because each reporter jots down information he / she thinks is worth sharing with its audience ... and each photojournalist takes a picture from a slightly different angle, based on where he / she is positioned.

In many ways, objectivity was a self-fulfilling prophecy for news organizations, because if all print, broadcast, and online outlets presented a story in the same format, they were being "objective." After all, journalists use similar news sources (i.e., publicists and press secretaries) and follow each other's lead (to make sure they're not outscooped on a story). Unfortunately, though, the influence public relations firms, advertisers, and corporate executives now have over news content has rendered objectivity an obsolete concept.