|
August 13, 2007
Getting all emotional about pretending to be objective
Via Pajamas Media, here's John Leo on reportorial objectivity: We now live in a docudrama world in which techniques of fiction and nonfiction are starting to blur. Many reporters think objectivity is a myth. They see journalism as inherently a subjective exercise in which the feelings and the will of the journalist function to reveal the truth of what has occurred. Two results are the emotional commitment to powerful but untrue story lines, and a further loss of credibility for the press.Well, if it is true that reporters decry journalistic objectivity, then isn't it a waste of time to condemn their lack of objectivity? If only they didn't care about the difference between fact and fiction and left it at that, it wouldn't be so bad. It's when they insist on the pretense of objectivity that I get hot and bothered. (Which is why I don't mind seeing fiction in the Globe, but mind seeing it in the BBC.) There's something annoying about the "pretending to be objective" charade. I think it goes to the heart of the conflict between the MSM and bloggers, the old versus the new media. If they really were interested in things like truth and objectivity, they'd welcome legitimate corrections of their errors. But instead, by going into damage control mode and behaving as if bloggers are the enemy, they only highlight that they're pretending to be objective. And the more objective they pretend to be, the angrier they get when they're caught. If in fact the pretense is false, if the pretense is a "subjective exercise," then it is reasonable to expect that seemingly righteous anger would all be part of their act. But a lot of times it seems to me that there really is righteous anger. Does that mean they actually believe in their own pretenses? Yes, I think they really might. If so, that's probably where the "emotional commitment to powerful but untrue story lines" comes into play. posted by Eric on 08.13.07 at 05:45 PM |
|
August 2007
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
August 2007
July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 AB 1634 See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
All crime is unpatriotic, and all criminals are terrorists!
"Never attribute to a coalition that which can be explained by collusion." NOI group threatens to sue NRA Vincent Foster's hard drive found? Getting all emotional about pretending to be objective Doin' the Lambert walk It's not the details that matter in reporting! Putting property before people Propaganda Wise Deinstitutionalization
Links
Site Credits
|
|