One of the first lessons learned by journalism majors is how to write objectively.
For years, this has been one of the critical components of professional journalism. Reporters were expected to write as though they had no opinion whatsoever. The idea, of course, is that people who watch or read the news need only to know the facts. Once the consumer knows that vital information, he should be able to make up his own mind about its implications.
The idea of objectivity has always been questioned-whether it is achievable is often disputed. Some believe reporters can lay aside personal beliefs in their writing. Some say it’s not possible. Although it has been discussed at length in numerous articles, books and blogs, the question of whether a person can remain completely unbiased in his reporting may never have an answer.
However, a growing trend in journalism may indicate that no answer will be necessary. Over the past several years, media outlets with a more conservative bend have been gaining in influence, such as Fox News. Fox, although it claims no bias, is well-known for its more conservative-oriented news accounts and programs. However, its ratings have not suffered. Instead, they have been increasing over the past several years. Research done by the Project for Excellence in Journalism stated that Fox News led the ratings for 2005. According to the study, at any given time “more than half the cable news audience was watching Fox News.”
Initially, it may be somewhat surprising that viewers appear to prefer a less than totally objective news outlet. After all, don’t they want unbiased reporting? That’s the way it used to be. But objectivity doesn’t seem to be all that desirable anymore.
The media realizes people want a news source that they can trust. Take, for example, some of the slogans of today’s major news outlets: CNN is “The Most Trusted Name In News.” Fox is “Fair and Balanced” and claims “We Report, You Decide.” Originally, that was one of the purposes of objectivity-establishing trust. Unbiased reporting meant that a news outlet was presenting the facts without subtly forcing a viewpoint on unsuspecting viewers or readers.
But today, one has only to type “media dominance” into a search engine to find thousands of pages claiming that mainstream media is biased. Some say it’s a liberal bias. Some say it’s a conservative one. That’s not the main issue. The important concern here is that mainstream media has, for whatever reason, gotten a reputation as biased. And that destroys the trust between media and reader or viewer. Now, whether a journalist is objective or not, people assume there is a bias, even if one is not claimed.
This is highly significant in relation to the recent success of conservative-oriented media. Disillusioned news consumers no longer have confidence in “objective” media sources. They want an outlet they can trust. And that leads to either a liberal- or conservative-oriented outlet.
If you were to take a psychology class, you would learn that people are more prone to listen to information that lines up with their previously-existing mindsets. Not only are they more prone to listen, but they are also more prone to believe and to remember the information received. This mental behavior has great significance for the current state of ratings within the news media.
Consumers have lost their trust in a so-called unbiased mainstream media. It is not feasible for people to completely stop accessing the media. After all, they must know what is going on in the world. Therefore, they seek a comfortable, trustworthy source of news. A source that already lines up with their beliefs. A source that acknowledges its own bias.
Fox News and other more conservatively-tuned media are experiencing success, at least in part, because of openness about their perspectives. Many do not view these sources as less credible because they are conservative. The open statement of political bias has actually increased trust with audiences. People know what type of viewpoints the reporters have, and expect the news to be reported accordingly. It does not compromise the integrity of a news organization for it to acknowledge a slight political standpoint.
Objectivity is not obsolete. Hopefully, fair and balanced reporting will never be an outdated aspect of journalism. However, audiences are beginning to see that it is possible to report the news accurately from a certain political standpoint. Honesty is key. People simply want to know what their information is based on. They are still able to evaluate for themselves its truth and accuracy. They want to know they can trust that the source doesn’t have a hidden agenda.