The Slow and Agonized Death of Objective Journalism
Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
by Jacquelyn Sylvan
http://www.sylvaniamania.com
I love CNN. While I'm writing or working on other things, I turn it on and let it run in the background. The sound of the newscasters on their pre-recorded loop gives my subconscious something to chew on, and if I'm stuck on something I can just stick my head around the computer and watch the ticker at the bottom of the screen float gently by. At nine o clock every night, however, I am rudely snapped from my reverie by a manic cawing sound. No, it's not my pet crow coming home to roost for the night; it's Nancy Grace.
Nancy, on the other hand, asks uncomfortably loaded questions in a superior tone of voice which makes it obvious shes already reached her own conclusions. Then, when the interviewee tries to answer the questions, he or she is bullied, interrupted, talked over, and screamed at. You will not get the truth; like it or not, you're getting Nancy's truth.
I understand, on some shows which lean more toward entertainment, that newscasters or hosts are sometimes going to put their own spin on things, try to tilt the story. However, when I was pursuing my Journalism degree at Northampton Community College, one thing was impressed upon us throughout; the responsibility of journalism. The responsibility is this: Reporters go where ordinary citizens usually cannot, have access to knowledge they do not. So it's the responsibility of the journalist to make sure all the information is reported fairly and honestly.
Of course, I want an intelligent host who can give color and dimension to the subject, but I want the other side of the story, too. I want a just and accurate reporting of the truth. I want the opportunity to make my own judgment call.
What would have happened if we'd gotten both sides of the story, when the U.S. was investigating Iraq on the question of weapons of mass destruction? Would we be embroiled in a seemingly endless war, where the number of American servicemen and women lost has far exceeded the casualties of September 11th ? This worst-case scenario illustrates my point exactly; we need journalists to investigate and report all the facts, not just the ones they think we want to hear.
I wish reporters like Nancy Grace were on their way out, but it seems the opposite is happening; they're coming into vogue. It seems now that each news channel has their own offensive and overpowering hard-hitting news commentator. Now, more than ever, we need journalists who arent out there to inflate their own egos or follow their own agendas; we need them to tell the truth. To bother finding the truth, to begin with. If news agencies spent more time reporting on alternate energy sources, for instance, instead of eating out of Big Oil's hand, we might already have a much cleaner country. Because this is the sad, simple fact; most people arent going to go and seek out the information. Someone has to come into their living room and tell them. And pray it's not Nancy Grace.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I'm right there with ya!
Hi Jacquelyn, You touched on the tip of the iceberg. When media networks are run to make a profit how can any of us expect balanced and fair reporting? The simple answer is, we can’t. They will report (and I use that term loosely), spin and deliver whatever content sells the most copies, rates the highest airtime or moves the most number of ads. Gone are the days when we could depend on our media networks and journalists as the counter balance to political corruption, corporate wrong doing and social inequality. Gone are the days when our media would do whatever was necessary to see the truth get out and gone are the days of "keeping them honest". Sadly, I don't see those days coming back anytime soon. Regards, Ben.
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