No True Middle Ground

Journalists are not supposed to have political opinions, and yet we all do. Our “biases” are usually disguised, not blatant or overtly partisan, and can be divined in what stories we cover and how we cover them,

Even ‘just the facts, ma'am,’ journos for big Media have to decide which facts to include and which to ignore.

Our outlooks are always shaped by our worldviews, values and experience, not to mention the outlets we work for.
~ from Oh, The Pain of The Believer: Barack’s Betrayals Offer Lessons We Can’t Deny by Danny Schechter ~

When I was studying for my BA in journalism, one of the core ideas that my professors tried to drum into my head was that good journalists are objective. Don't write with an agenda, they told me, just go where the facts take you.

But as Schecter points out and I have written about before, objectivity is a mirage. Each of us is a subjective being and we view all information subjectively. Consequently, whatever we report is tinged with that same subjective basis.

For me, the operative part of the snippet from Schecter is the part about deciding "which facts to include and which to ignore." These decisions expose our subjective perspectives. When we include facts a, b, c, f, and h, the information we don't include -- d, e, g and i -- tells the reader something. That something is the bias the reporter possesses.

I think the biggest problem in journalism and writing, in general, is when the writer tries to convince you, the reader, that what is being presented is the objective truth. At best, this assertion is mistaken and, at worst, it's an outright lie!

I don't pretend that what you read on this blog is in any way objective. The writings here are very subjective, whether me or Scott writes 'em. It is just as true that, when you read any of our ramblings, you will understand them in your own subjective way. Sometimes our subjectives viewpoints will mesh and sometimes they won't.

The only way any of us might be genuinely objective is if we were something akin to god and, even then, that assertion is made under the assumption that god wouldn't have a subjective point of view as well.

My personal opinion is that objectivity for any being that possesses consciousness is an impossibility. Of course, that contention is subjective too! ;-)