A journalist's position to disseminate information and news requires an ability to remain objective and truthful. Conley and Lamble say that "the best journalists are on a crusade but it is never personal" (2006: xiii). This romantic view of journalism is a slowly slipping standard in some newsrooms.
Journalists are encouraged to immerse themselves in the culture on which they report. Remaining objective and unbiased in some conditions can almost be considered a turn against pre-structures. As humans we naturally form ideas, opinions and reality based upon what we call our own social understanding. However as mentioned before at the start of this post, a journalists profession does not primarily revolve around opinion, most of the time it calls for a balanced view of news and facts so the audience can judge for itself.
Truth and lies spell the black and white debate of journalism. However withholding information and failing to tell audiences crucial information is an important aspect of journalism as well. ABC Media Watch in August 2009 caught out Channel Ten news in QLD as they mislead the public on current real estate market opportunities. Media Watch's story was entitled TEN'S Real Estate Trifecta and showed a reporter interviewing what appears to be investors in QLD's markets but as Media Watch uncovers, they are actually employees of Ray White Real Estate in a QLD suburb. The reporter on the story failed to mention the role of their talent and ultimately lead the public to believe they were investors.
Is the naming and shaming of untrustworthy news sources enough or is there a way to put a stop to lies and deception? Unfortunately for now, there isn't. However a journalist should aim to be truthful about their own subjectivity and keep a watchful eye on it as they investigate stories so they can produce honest and balanced work.
You say: "As humans we naturally form ideas, opinions and reality based upon what we call our own social understanding." This is an important observation to be made, because it highlights three things:
ReplyDeleteIt affects our ability to be objective and truthful. Sometimes the social construction of our own reality can cause us to be biased or ignorant of the facts without even realising.
It is also why communications degrees incorporate courses exploring discourse, local/ national/ international culture, and audience studies, so that we may be aware of these perspectives.
It is why, as I read recently, "objectivity is not a product, it is a process"