In case you didn’t know: ‘Objectivity has got to go,’ and other views from leaders of nation’s news organizations

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By MARY LOU MASTERS | DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION

Leaders of prominent news organizations are turning away from journalistic objectivity, claiming it is antithetical to a diversity of views in their newsrooms, according to a series of interviews conducted by two journalism scholars.

Former executive editor for The Washington Post Leonard Downie Jr. and former CBS News President Andrew Heyward interviewed over 75 media leaders to gauge how the industry views the concept of “objectivity.” The media leaders argued that journalists should include their own beliefs, biases, and experiences to convey truth, and that journalistic objectivity was either unrealistic or undesirable.

“Objectivity has got to go,” said Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor-in-chief at the San Francisco Chronicle.

“[I]ncreasingly, reporters, editors and media critics argue that the concept of journalistic objectivity is a distortion of reality. They point out that the standard was dictated over decades by male editors in predominantly White newsrooms and reinforced their own view of the world,” Downie Jr. wrote. “They believe that pursuing objectivity can lead to false balance or misleading “bothsidesism” in covering stories about race, the treatment of women, LGBTQ+ rights, income inequality, climate change and many other subjects. And, in today’s diversifying newsrooms, they feel it negates many of their own identities, life experiences and cultural contexts, keeping them from pursuing truth in their work.”

“Journalists of color” and LGBTQ journalists said that reporting objectively “negates their own identity, life experiences and cultural contexts, keeping them from pursuing truth in their work,” according to Downie Jr.

Journalists believe objectivity prevents them from accurate reporting, as it bars them from channeling their background and beliefs, the survey found.

“It’s objective by whose standard? … That standard seems to be White, educated, and fairly wealthy,” said Kathleen Carroll, former executive editor at the Associated Press. (RELATED: F*cking A**holes’: The New York Times Fires Editor For Cursing Out a Gun Rights Group)

The media shouldn’t simply use “neutral language” by default, New York Times executive editor Joseph Kahn said. For instance, if there is undisputed evidence of racism or falsehoods, journalists should be direct with readers.

The Los Angeles Times allows their staff to write personal essays so they can share more of their identities, said editor Kevin Merida. Such essays appear on the first page, including a gay reporter’s story about marriage and the legalities of gay marriage.

USA Today has no problem allowing their reporters to write about their own experiences, so long as the stories aren’t too biased, said editor-in-chief Nicole Carroll. She also welcomes a diverse group of journalists to express their experiences when discussing newsworthy stories.

“What we found has convinced us that truth-seeking news media must move beyond whatever ‘objectivity’ once meant to produce more trustworthy news,” said Downie Jr.

Many of the interviewees seemed to be in support of such a change.

“This appears to be the beginning of another generational shift in American journalism,” Downie Jr. said. 

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19 COMMENTS

  1. So, if objectively covering news doesn’t help accomplish your objectives, feel free to substitute. Explains a lot.

  2. Reality and truth no longer works for Left-wing loonies and Democrats. Standards are lowered across the board. Education becomes indoctrination. Keeping the masses stupid, uninformed, and helpless, is the “objective” intent of the Democrats and their communist cohorts in the media. America will be on par with Somalia, Venezuela, and North Korea by about 2031.

  3. Most of the “news” is political propaganda. What are they pretending, that they are neutral truth tellers? Come on man! If there was any doubt, the Twitter Files should put any delusions about the integrity of the media to a rest. They have none, and it’s all paid advertisements.

  4. Imagine if you will. I court hearing. Be it a divorce, corporate espionage, domestic dispute, child neglect, medical malpractice.
    The judge only been able to hear testimony from one side, shutting down and silencing the other side of the aisle.
    DirectTV cough AT&T cough cough……
    Election fraud judge’s cough CDC ……cough.

  5. Life is a tragedy for those who feel & life is a comedy for those who think.

    Objectivity isn’t for everyone and can’t be.

  6. This is just another step — a giant step — in the persecution, elimination and eventual criminalization of dissent to the radical leftist political and social agenda.

  7. I believe folks might want to be asking … What is the real purpose of having two “journalistic scholars” (ie: Downey & Hayward) exercise a deep dive into the lack of objectivity in todays news media? Does anyone really think either of these two can bring about integrity and honor to this run-a-mok band of deviant story tellers? I think Not. Rather, I believe these two recognize how smart the average person is and completely sees through the BS emanating in todays journalism and media outlets. Folks are finding other outlets to gather news and completely tuning out the Main Stream Media.

  8. I appreciate this forum! You really do bring the news That matters! I look at my computer and its auto set for news for MSN! Microsoft and it, actually, reminds me of the enquirer magazine the gossip rag! Of the day!

  9. All the other commenters here are mad because they are actually scared of a future where they have no control and thus they take out their anger on people they don’t look like.

    • “Reality”, don’t look now, but your racism is showing, along with your classism.
      .
      We are mad because we are losing our rights to a ever-more-totalitarian central government and unelected, unaccountable globalist cabal, aided and abetted in their insatiable grasping of power by clueless and ignorant conformists and sheep like you.

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