Objectivity

Objectivity, loosely defined in the context of journalism as impartial, detached reporting based on verifiable data, is widely understood to be the goal of many news organizations. Many argue that objectivity is a belief for journalists and the cornerstone of professionalization in liberal media systems. In those contexts, it is often central to journalism training and how journalists situate themselves in their role of mediator between newsmakers and the general public. It can be an effective defense to assure the public that journalists act ethically and for the greater good, rather than for personal motivations or societal elites. Yet, how objectivity is enacted daily by thousands of journalists around the world does not always meet those ideals.

Members of the public sphere, ranging from elites to average citizens, sometimes claim media bias as a way of discrediting journalism. It seems simple to do because while objectivity is a routinized journalistic norm, its tenet of producing value-free news is fundamentally flawed. This is because news personnel are limited by their own ideologies and selected realities.

[Page 1176]There are also structural flaws in news organizations and greater inequalities of societal structures that influence the news process. To add to the complication, those in the public criticizing news bias are often motivated by their personal biases. Therefore, achieving total objectivity and the reputation of objectivity in news is nearly impossible. Nevertheless, objectivity continues to dominate journalism because associated with it are professional routines that structure news reporting, inform ethical standards in journalism, and help maintain journalism as a fourth estate and invaluable part of society.

Many working in the news industry acknowledge objectivity is more of a construct than a universal truth. To address its importance and challenges to journalism, this entry further defines objectivity, then discusses how it has evolved in journalism practices in both the United States and around the world, and why it is often criticized but still practiced.