Objectivity in Journalism

Objectivity in journalism is something that writers have been chasing after since the first written records, but the real question is, is this goal even achievable? Or are all journalists on a wild goose chase, seeking a goal they will never reach? Before we can answer that question, I think we need to define what it means to be objective. According to dictionary.com, to be objective is to, “not be influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased.” In theory it sounds so simple, but to actually put this into practice proves much more difficult. Humans are prone to making a judgment about a person or a situation before they even know what is really going on, however I believe that it is possible to prevent this from happening. It would take time and discipline, but it is possible. David Brooks, author of “Objectivity in Journalism”, provides a way to measure our objectivity and viable steps to achieve it. He says, “I think that there is truth out there, and that objectivity is like virtue; it’s the thing you always fall short of, but the thing you always strive toward.” We may never achieve perfect objectivity, but we can come as close as humanly possible.
Brooks gives us steps to remain objective. The first one is to look at all the facts, not just the ones that confirm what we believe. That isn’t always easy, but it’s extremely important! The second step is to remain modest. This means to limit your self-exposure, and seek more than just a boost for your ego. The third step is to process all the data, you have to make sure and take into account every single fact, so that you don’t come to a biased conclusion. The fourth stage is the ability to betray friends. This sounds heartless, but you have to have the strength to seek the absolute truth, not your friends or coworker’s truth. The 5th stage is the ability to ignore stereotypes, this is not easy because whether it’s on purpose or by accident we stereotype, but in order to remain truth objective, we have to master this. The last stage is to understand that you need to be a little dull. It’s easy to blast someone with a mean article, but more often than not, it is undeserved. When we follow these steps we are well on our way to being objective! Although it will take time and effort, writing objectively is completely possible. I never said it would be easy, but as journalists and Christians, your job is to bring the whole truth, not just your own truth!

"Why Tell the Truth?" by Joseph Stowell

In his article “Why Tell the Truth”, Joseph Stowell writes about the importance of telling in the truth in all circumstances. He says, “It is the underlying foundation for trust, confidence, integrity, faith, security, and stability.” (Why tell the truth). When we lie or omit certain truths we break down trust and confidence in all of our relationships. Stowell writes that a relationship will not last if it is not based on truth, and mutual trust. Truth aligns us with God, God is truth so when we are truthful, we are being more like him. When we lie we are straying from the very character of God, and his redemption loses its value. Truth telling is our basis of worshiping God. If we are to bring God glory in all we do, how can we possibly do that if we are lying? And finally, truth telling is submission to God’s will for our life. He desire righteousness from us, and when we lie, we are not being righteous. Stowell says, “our joy cannot be full if we get involved with falsehoods.” (Why Tell the Truth).
There are different way to be untruthful; beguilement, deceit, lying, and false witness. Beguilement is when you reach a false conclusion about something or someone, it may be on purpose or by accident, but it is often due to insufficient facts. In journalism, beguilement is the most prevalent in gossip columns. The columnist make false assumptions about others, and then share them with their readers. “Beguilement is the sin of disseminating false conclusions. It is to delude or be deluded.” (Stowell) Deceit is arranging the facts to distort the truth. It is most often used for manipulation, for example in journalism, sometimes when an interview is done, the reporter will print a quote but leave out the beginning or the end, or even the middle to make it seem like the person was saying something different than they really said. Or they will even quote the person out of context, which makes the quote say something completely different than what the person meant. A deceitful statement starts out true, but by the end of it, is completely distorted. Lying is completely telling an untruth. Often journalists will lie about a source, or more commonly will plagiarize and claim someone else’s work as their own. This completely breaks down the trust relationship, and often will cost the journalist their job, and their credibility. The last one the article talked about was false witness. This is when someone brings false testimony against another person, often for their own personal gain. Journalists are famous for doing this because they have the power of the press, so if they don’t like someone they will just write a negative story on them. This is perhaps the worst one because it ruins reputations and families. Each way ruins relationships, and will completely ruin your testimony!
I think the most important point that Stowell makes is that truth telling is a part of the character of God, and we were created to be like him, so we need to be truthful. God created us to reflect his character, but if we are lying, or being deceitful, we are so far from him. Our sole purpose for life is to bring him glory but we are not doing that when we are dishonest. As Christian’s we need to make it our goal to be honest, and loving, seeking the best interests of others, and the heart of God.

Stowell, Joseph. "Why Tell the Truth." Heartcry Journal 47 (1998): n. pag. Web. 9 Sep 2010.