By Anne Ednalyn dela cruz
Illustration by Camille Marie Ponce
Objectivity in journalism is a myth.
Balance is the key.
From the moment writers decide to pick up a news story, search for possible interviewees, get an angle, and write about it, subjectivity is being practiced.
From the moment editors edit article, delete and add words, kill a news story, subjectivity is being practiced.
From the moment media owners air a program, choose reporters, and filter reports, subjectivity is being practiced.
In the field of journalism, objectivity is not only difficult but more so impossible to practice. Writers and reporters bring in to their works their biases and world views, consciously or not. But the real challenge lies not on how objectivity is practiced but rather how balance you have presented the story in order to fulfill your objective – getting your message across.
For the past months, issues involving the government have been filling in the headlines of newspapers, radio, and television. From the governor’s involvement in the Ampatuan massacre, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the illegal detention of health workers, Supreme Court in Midnight appointment, to Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) concern on tuition fee increase, government is always in the big picture.
Government, being a consistent character on social fuss, has become the media’s greatest and safest remedy and information source. Media people, especially in the dominant media, have obviously abused the government route info. They settle with reliable ‘official’ source and do not bother to search for other angles and resources. In this case, media appeared to be on the side of the government or is likely to present a one-sided, pro-government story.
Alternative media, on the other hand, is questioned on practicing advocacy journalism. In contrast to the dominant, alternative media chose to get viewpoint of non-government organizations, and is mass-centered. In this case, they appeared to be on the side of the people or are likely to present a victim-centered, anti-government story.
Given with the two kinds of media existing in the country today, how would you want your news be like? A pro-gov. or an anti-gov.?
Neither. Either.
Biases can do us both good and evil. What a writer should always consider is why s/he is writing a story and to whom is s/he writing it for. Let your purpose drive you but let balance control you.
From the moment editors edit article, delete and add words, kill a news story, subjectivity is being practiced.
From the moment media owners air a program, choose reporters, and filter reports, subjectivity is being practiced.
In the field of journalism, objectivity is not only difficult but more so impossible to practice. Writers and reporters bring in to their works their biases and world views, consciously or not. But the real challenge lies not on how objectivity is practiced but rather how balance you have presented the story in order to fulfill your objective – getting your message across.
For the past months, issues involving the government have been filling in the headlines of newspapers, radio, and television. From the governor’s involvement in the Ampatuan massacre, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the illegal detention of health workers, Supreme Court in Midnight appointment, to Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) concern on tuition fee increase, government is always in the big picture.
Government, being a consistent character on social fuss, has become the media’s greatest and safest remedy and information source. Media people, especially in the dominant media, have obviously abused the government route info. They settle with reliable ‘official’ source and do not bother to search for other angles and resources. In this case, media appeared to be on the side of the government or is likely to present a one-sided, pro-government story.
Alternative media, on the other hand, is questioned on practicing advocacy journalism. In contrast to the dominant, alternative media chose to get viewpoint of non-government organizations, and is mass-centered. In this case, they appeared to be on the side of the people or are likely to present a victim-centered, anti-government story.
Given with the two kinds of media existing in the country today, how would you want your news be like? A pro-gov. or an anti-gov.?
Neither. Either.
Biases can do us both good and evil. What a writer should always consider is why s/he is writing a story and to whom is s/he writing it for. Let your purpose drive you but let balance control you.
