Objectivity is a tenet of journalistic ethics. It’s taught at Ohio University from the moment a first-year journalist steps into JOUR 1010 and is reiterated again and again throughout college. Objectivity, however, has changed.
Objectivity is, on its face, a simple concept: report on the facts without revealing any bias. It’s nonpartisan, fair and factual. It doesn’t leave room for opinion or editorializing. It is one of the core values of journalistic ethics.
Yet, there are no correct answers or hard-set rules when it comes to ethics; there are only standards for what is societally acceptable. Society has changed, and so has journalistic objectivity.
In fact, objectivity only became a phenomenon in the last century.
Yellow journalism, a type of reporting that relied on sensationalism, appeared in the late 19th century. It was defined by ostentatious headlines and crude call-to-actions, which garnered a large audience and “influenc(ed) public reaction to international events,” according to the Office of the Historian.
Newspapers forwent facts and accuracy in favor of attention and public influence. This type of reporting, built on exaggeration, was motivated by profit.
The shift to objectivity did not occur until the early 1900s, as a result of “newspaper mergers and closings (which) meant each city had fewer papers, and the surviving papers had to appeal to a broader swath of the public,” according to Time Magazine.
For 60 years, facts and science-based evidence have become the new norm. However, a major social and cultural upheaval in the 1960s, spurred by the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, turned the newly established ideal of objectivity on its head.
In the face of an uncertain political and social climate, when the government did not represent the voice of the people, reporters questioned why they would report on facts but forgo explaining what it meant. They questioned why both sides should be given equal weight when only one is supported by science and fact.
True objectivity, journalists argued, didn’t represent the reality of living in America or the truth of facts. Today, I argue, reporters face the same dilemma.
In a world where living standards are intrinsically intertwined with the political and social climate, everyone is impacted by the events reported on in the news. No reporter can be completely unbiased because they experience the ebbs and flows of an uneasy country.
However, journalists should report accurately. Accurate information is key in a modern age defined by misinformation and clickbait. Internal biases cannot impact factual reporting. While journalists have a right to maintain personal beliefs, there is a fine line between today’s definition of objectivity and outright opinion.
To find a balance in reporting facts while still acknowledging reality, context becomes key to maintaining an equitable news source.
Neutrality and detachment can misrepresent underrepresented people and places. An objective stance may obscure systematic issues or fail to hold responsible parties and institutions accountable. Context, in these cases, explains why injustice has occurred while maintaining an objective standpoint.
The portrayal of real stories of real people in real situations provides the context needed to showcase reality. Objectivity, then, cannot be questioned because there is nothing more impartial than the human experience.
Although reporters should remain informed on both sides, they should not give equal weight to a side informed by fact and evidence and a side not. Prioritization should be given to facts and to helping an audience understand the implications of those facts on daily life.
Reporters can report on the facts, they can share accurate information and inform the masses. Reporters can do their job, but they can’t be expected to remain objective in the traditional sense. Instead, reporters must take into account the world that surrounds them and adapt to audience expectations.
Objectivity has changed, but this shift has made news stronger, human-centered and increasingly accurate.
Alexandra Hopkins is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Alexandra? Email her at ah875121@ohio.edu.
