Journalistic objectivity has long been in flux. This paper examines cases in which we see journalists aiming to subvert norms, and managers pushing back, reprimanding the journalists and removing them from coverage or firing them. Understanding what’s happening at these edges of acceptable journalistic practice can offer clarity about the nature of change in the field. We find journalists arguing that objectivity works differently when reporting on minority groups—so much so that they suggest focusing instead on context and truth in these cases, while managers counter that objectivity is universal. We note that scholars offer alternatives—Ward’s “pragmatic objectivity,” which recommends taking the perspective of the community, and Durham’s “strong objectivity”, which suggests embodying the most marginalized groups in a discussion. This examination offers insight into how journalism is evolving, in particular in a moment of racial reckoning.
Laboratorio de periodismo es una iniciativa de la Fundación Luca de Tena que nace para tratar de cubrir las necesidades de los periodistas derivadas de la transformación del sector, el cambio disruptivo del negocio de la información y la demanda de nuevos perfiles profesionales en entornos en los que dicha formación no está, en la mayoría de los casos, al alcance de los nuevos profesionales.
