Comments on: The future of journalistic objectivity http://www.matthewbigelow.com/2007/11/03/the-future-of-journalistic-objectivity/ Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:05:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: RM http://www.matthewbigelow.com/2007/11/03/the-future-of-journalistic-objectivity/comment-page-1/#comment-194 RM Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:08:27 +0000 http://www.matthewbigelow.com/2007/11/03/the-future-of-journalistic-objectivity/#comment-194 My idea is that there's an inverse relationship between the number of news outlets and the perceived importance of old-style journalistic "objectivity." As more voices get added, each media outlet has to have more of a personality in order to distinguish itself in the marketplace. This means more directly engaging with different arguments <i>and making judgments about them</i> and less going on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand. Sometimes things like balance and detachment and objectivity are virtues that do indeed help journalists get to the truth. But pretty often they are just a way of making sure everybody gets along, which is not the same thing. Sometimes the best way to be in the truth business is to consider the opposing arguments in good faith and then actually decide which one is better, and say so. My idea is that there’s an inverse relationship between the number of news outlets and the perceived importance of old-style journalistic “objectivity.” As more voices get added, each media outlet has to have more of a personality in order to distinguish itself in the marketplace. This means more directly engaging with different arguments and making judgments about them and less going on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand.

Sometimes things like balance and detachment and objectivity are virtues that do indeed help journalists get to the truth. But pretty often they are just a way of making sure everybody gets along, which is not the same thing. Sometimes the best way to be in the truth business is to consider the opposing arguments in good faith and then actually decide which one is better, and say so.

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