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Objectivity (was Re: First computers)

To: "John Lieberman" <jlieberman@sport.rr.com>,
Subject: Objectivity (was Re: First computers)
From: "Rocky Entriken" <rocky@tri.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 20:51:07 -0600
I'm with you, John!

My Reporting 1 & 2 instructor beat objectivity into us and I've found it a
lesson well applied.

I'm on the other side, print journalism, but the principles are the same.
The best tale I have to illustrate it came early in my career when I was
interning for the Kansas City Star. They sent me to cover a George Wallace
for President rally. Personal bias: I couldn't abide the racist sumbitch.
The only way I saw to overcome that bias professionally: Cover it with
painstaking accuracy. To the point that after the main speaker's speech was
done, I went and borrowed his copy so I could quote him accurately.

When the story came out the next day I got two phone calls. One, from the
Wallace camp, praised me for covering the rally accurately and fairly. The
second, from an anti-Wallace person, was "boy you really showed what jerks
those people are!" I realized then that I never had to slant a story. Just
report the facts accurately, the reader will read into them whatever he
wants.

I always cringe when TV drama depictions of journalists always feed them
lines that include the words "this reporter." As in, "In this reporter's
experience I've never seen such a thing before." My college instructor would
say nobody gives a crap about your experience, just tell the damn story!

BTW, in my experience, more journalists are truly objective in real life
than you'd ever expect from TV drama! Those who aren't don't last long -- or
find their way to the tabloids.

--Rocky

> I've got a big nose and I get paid to go around sticking it into other
> people's business!!
>
> However, unlike many of my cohorts, I'm a firm subscriber to the
> practice of objectivity and unbiased reporting.  I know that's rare in
> this day and age but I firmly believe in just presenting the facts and
> letting my audience decide what to do with them.
>
> John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman





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