Pangloss,
What is your take on the serious lack of objectivity, which in my view borders on a serious lack of integredy, among todays journalists?
No offence inteneded to you or your profession, just my opinion.
Example, the CBC and its material handlers and gatherers.
I wonder if it is objectivity that is being lost, or if narcissism is creeping out of editorials and into regular journalism.
I think it was Robert Fulford who said that a reporter should publish a sentence that starts with "I" or "me" only once every two years. Unfortunately, Rebecca Eckler and her ilk are the hot new properties in Canadian Print journalism, and their only topic is themselves. Every column is about their wedding, their in-laws, their travels, their thoughts. Yawn inducing navel-gazing.
Television follows (as it usually does, wherever thinking is involved) because liking the presenter is more important to viewer loyalty than thinking the show is smart or worthwhile. When I hosted shows or documentaries, I tried to work with the idea that I was mostly in the way of the information I wanted to get out, and so the best thing I could do was minimize "me" statements and simply present the story as well as I could.
Journalists, an introspective lot, have written a lot about this exact topic. I would suggest "Queen's Quarterly", an awesome Canadian magazine - about every third issue usually has a piece about how Canadian journalism is going to hell.
Now, what about political spin sneaking its way into reportage? Let me ask you this: if you were to explain the Canadian political system to a newcomer, could you do it without opinion or bias or personal perspective or whatever you wish to call it? Laziness and human nature is at the root of most of that kind of backhand editorializing.
Fox news does not apply to any of the above. I have no idea how to begin listing their crimes.
Pangloss
Pangloss
