Journalism is a versatile communications medium impacted by various societal elements but the craft’s adherence to objectivity is its greatest challenge. The way journalism is challenged by objectivity can be seen through an investigation into the ways the trade is involved in defining society and shaping culture by way of constructing narratives. Problematic elements are also revealed through the way that journalism approaches race and gender and how it portrays this in the media. It’s important not to neglect that objectivity is essentially a pillar of modern journalism and how striving for it is still an important aspect of the craft.
One element of journalism that provides a major challenge to objective integrity is the way in which the trade influences culture and public opinion through the formation of narrative (Stuart, 1993). News is an interwoven garment of truth, cultural identity and the sequencing of dramatic events to formulate stories that are easily digestible for the public (Bivins, 2009). Objectivity, is only truth, it is ‘standing so far from the community that you see all events and all viewpoints as equally distant and important – or unimportant,’ as informed by journalistic absolutism (Bivins, 2009). It’s bordering on the impossible to have this form of objectivity in any news content as a journalistic understanding of what news is relies upon a journalist’s perception (Bivins, 2009). A relevant example of narrative construction within the realm of Australian media is the portrayal of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan. When their punishment drew nearer they were no longer criminals in the eyes of most Australians, they were a redemption story, a cleansed David facing a stubborn Goliath (Owens, 2015). At least that’s how the Australian media portrayed it and how the nation was informed, lacking objective reasoning. Narrative construction threatens objectivity. Perception and illustration of news have no place in factually absolutist journalism (Bivins, 2009). Narrative construction and the shaping of culture are inherent to journalism and they clash directly with a journalist’s ability to maintain objectivity in content.
A further exploration into the way modern journalism is impacted by the stringency of objectivity is the way in which elements of race and gender are portrayed by a media hierarchy lacking in diversity (Allan, 2009). Journalists shouldn’t be reporting on different genders or cultures whilst only being able to empathise with groups on a basic human level (Kovach and Rosenstiel, 2007). News outfits require monitored balance of varying racial and cultural backgrounds in combination with representative gender numbers to deliver content that is based in objective perception (Allan, 2009). News is often quite obviously created by those who are a product of an exclusively uniform environment who would be regarded as unqualified to draw conclusions or information from an event they are supposed to cover. Edward Said explored a similar concept in his text Introduction to Orientalism, defining the East for an audience predominantly unaware of what the area is (Said, 1978). Said elaborated on Orientalism, as it’s not an objective way to define various civilisations across many borders, it was a Western construct for a primarily European society to be able to segregate their world in a comprehensible format. A way of describing something to an audience without having the experience, background or cultural connection required of such a task (Said, 1978). Said’s works are highly relevant within journalistic values of objectivity, there can be no clinical understanding of something foreign without having similar elements within the news organisation. Objectivity remains a pillar of journalism and it requires organisational diversity to be represented suitably within the news medium.
Objectivity is a core journalistic concept and although it’s essentially impossible for one to obtain it purely it is still necessary that journalists strive to make it the foundation of their work. Journalists have an essential role in society, with high information flow, they become societal watchdogs (Meyer, 1995). Journalists can’t be expected to be completely unbiased because judgement is human nature (Ayala, 2010). Moving forward from objectivity being a challenge in journalism, it should be embraced as the dividing line between story and fact (Streckfuss, 1990). The application of scientific method to human affairs and journalism through social science is what could redeem the relatively naïve idea that journalism has the ability to be wholly objective (Maras, 2013). Journalists need to implement this in their work for six integral reasons outlined by Philip Meyer. These reasons pertain to rebuilding community identity, retaining the public attention span, exploring deeply the systems that direct our lives, increasing attention paid to rationalism, highlighting substance in political arguments and aiding in deliberation (Meyer, 1995). These are vital elements to a modern democratic society and by emphasising the importance of an objective method over an objective journalist they can be achieved (Dean, 2015). Journalism requires redefining objectivity, to fit a perfect concept to imperfect beings. Objectivity is fundamental to journalism and should be aimed for, perpetually.
Journalism is a medium for communication that integrates objectivity as both a major challenge and a core concept. Objectivity is a struggle for journalists due to the craft’s function of defining society and shaping culture. Objectivity is also somewhat intangible for the ways race and gender are portrayed in a media body that lacks diversity. Conversely, although absolutist objectivity isn’t possible, redefining the concept and applying it to a systematic method is still important for journalists to strive towards. Ultimately journalism is a medium with many challenges but objectivity is its greatest test and triumph.
Harrison Johnstone 