The Twilight of Objectivity in MSM

Most critics of the mainstream media would be satisfied if even minimal standards of responsible journalism were applied, by the New York Times or AP for example, more consistently. MSM choice of stories, of angles, of sources, veer into opinion far too often, and too often neglect the whole factual story in favor of bias and slant.

Michael Kinsley does a service with his column at Slate online magazine, “The Twilight of Objectivity.” Kinsley too blithely dismisses “objectivity” by presenting a strawhorse of perfection, “less an ideal than a conceit.” As Kinsley observes, “objectivity is a muddled concept.” However, he still manages to describe the distinction between opinions and objectivity, or good journalism, that troubles so many.

Opinion journalism can be more honest than objective-style journalism because it doesn’t have to hide its pont of view….Their “objective” counterparts have to sort their subjective observations into two arbitrary piles: truths that are objective as well, and truths that are just an opinion. That second pile of truths then gets tossed out, or perhaps put in quotes and attributed to someone else….Abandoniong the pretense of objectivity does not mean abandoning the journalist’s most important obligation, which is factual accuracy.

Kinsley then poses some questions a journalist should ask of him or herself, as a check:

Have you tested it against the available counterarguments? Are you open to new evidence or argument that might change your mind? Do you retain a tiny, healthy sliver of a doubt about the argument you choose to make?

More journalists and editors need to carry this checklist around in their wallet.