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To answer this question we need to first understand what objectivity means. I have conducted couple of research in different countries and found out many journalists are confused about the meaning of objectivity. Some journalists insist that they report the 'truth' through striving for objectivity, suggesting that objectivity is equivalent to truth, which actually clashes with how objectivity came into existence.
In fact, the concept of objectivity appeared first in the United States in response to the claim that journalists report the truth. The discussion at the time was that journalists do not report the 'truth', but they report what they think it is the 'truth'. Journalists were unaware that they were unconsciously mixing their view with the news due to the fact that they thought that their social values are universal. As a consequence, objectivity had become a widespread currency in journalism, and that was actually how objectivity was introduced to the world through America.
Objectivity can be defined in light of the above-mentioned as producing impersonal news. Objective journalism means not judging the news, and that is why it is associated with neutrality.
However, is it possible for journalists to give up their social and cultural norms when reporting events? To answer this question we need to understand that bias in the news occurs most of the time UNCONSCIOUSLY.
Unconsciously because journalists tend to unknowingly universalize their own cultural values, so when they judge the news by using these values, they DO NOT feel they are biased because they think everybody thinks the same way they do, and as a result, the bias enters the news unconsciously. And this brings me to the conclusion that objectivity is humanly impossible.
....but if objectivity is an utopian term, does this mean that journalists should not strive for objectivity, and that they should insert their opinions in the news openly? well, this is another important question, and I am planing to discuss it in a separate thread, but what is important here is to discuss objectivity from different perspectives because concepts in social science are contested, so give us your take on objectivity here....
