Objectivity In The Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Century

“Objectivity is an ideal or value that is seen to be essential for an ethical approach to news; to be objective is to attain good ethical standards, the basis of where journalists’ social responsibilities lie. However, it is nothing but an ideal that is unrealistic in the real world of journalism,” (Berry 122). In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, journalistic objectivity was a fundamental ethical principle. Objectivity, as a way of reporting “just the facts” from a detached perspective was entrenched at major newspapers in North America. Similarly, journalists were enforced to maintain independence from those they covered. Over the years, this traditional understanding of objectivity was confused and there was a shift in how it was

Journalists in North America articulated objectivity in codes of ethics, editorial statements and journalism manuals. Meyers states that “traditional objectivity asserts that a reporter is objective if he or she reports only the facts and eliminates comment, interpretation and speculation,” (141). Objective reporters were to be completely detached, and the main reason for this language of restraint is so the public could make their own judgments on what was true or false, (143). Over time, there was a turning-point that resulted from new forms of journalism, technology and social conditions. Meyers argues that events in a complex world needed to be explained and interpreted, and the emergence of television and radio created more personal forms of media where a strict objective style struggled, (144). In the final decades of the twentieth century, online journalism gave further support to interpretive journalism. This illustrates how objectivity changed and continues to change as media and the internet value interactivity, sharing opinions and networking. According to Meyers, a century after objectivity was adopted, fewer journalists embraced the ideal and it gradually disappeared

Berry states that “objective reporting is a desirable ethical value and seen as a means for achieving truth,” (111). In other words, objectivity and truth are interlinked and the press should present reality as it is through accurate and objective reporting. Objectivity impacts the validity of news and should be applied to the newsgathering process so the story can be justified as news rather than gossip or opinion. It is a tool that journalists should use to ensure their reporting is credible in the eyes of the public and does not depict only one side of the story. Presenting the facts and well-grounded interpretations allows the public to formulate their own opinions. Berry states that the principle of objectivity was and continues to be a simultaneous method on how to approach accounts in which truth can be verified and established, (119). Whatever the issues and criticisms concerning objectivity, it is nevertheless a model that may provide guidance for journalists to adopt a neutral position. Striving to include all of the facts pertinent to an issue is a crucial part of good practice and the consequence of not doing so restricts the public’s understanding of important issues, (124). The belief in objectivity is not only crucial for news