Yes, Virginia, Journalists Let Their Opinions Creep In-2001 Editorial


by Lindsey Williams - Date: 2007-01-16 - Word Count: 779 Share This!

Having been ahead of the curve explaining last week's plunge in the economy, and the return of bi- partisan politics to Congress, we take a breather to examine the state of journalism ethics in reporting the U.S. War on Terrorism.

Stimulus for introspection is a vacuous speech by ABC News president David Westin to Columbia University journalism students. His topic was the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech and press.

This is what makes American "representative" democracy successful - in contrast to the failed "mob" democracies of ancient Greece and Rome.

Of course, patriots of 1776 had benefit of the printed word. Much depended then, as now, on the accuracy of reporting and wisdom of comment.

Thomas Jefferson, architect of the Constitution and president of the nation, declared in 1787:

"The basis of our government being the opinion the people, the very first object should be to keep that right. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

Westin failed the fundamental ethics test for journalism: objectivity, as in "real," contrary to "feelings."

A student asked him if the Pentagon was a "legitimate" terrorist topic.

This was a loaded question. It is politically correct on some campuses to draw a distinction between terrorism against people versus military.

We do not know whether the student was being objective, or prejudicial. No matter.

Westin's reply certainly was non-objective.

"I actually don't have an opinion on that, and it's important I not have," Westin stated. " The way I conceive my job running a news organization, and the way I would like all the journalists at ABC News to perceive it, is that there is a big difference between a normative (establishing a norm or standard) position and a positive (arbitrarily set) position.

"Our job is to determine what is -- not what ought to be. When we get into the job of what ought to be, I think we're not doing a service to the American people in taking a position of right or wrong. As a journalist, I feel strongly that's something I should not do."

Westin seems to advocate "sponge" journalism. That is, soak up information then squeeze it out unaltered on command. This sounds objective; but in reality it is a shirk of "editorial" duty - which is to select. It is impossible to report everything. Judgment is required.

The first "editors" were managers of Roman circuses. Their duty was to select programs for the entertainment and edification of audiences. Whether to pit religious heretics against hungry lions, or captured enemies against criminals.

There may be similarity between ancient and modern editors - but that's another subject for another day.

Columnists are a sometimes-confusing combination of journalist, editor and essayist. They report, choose, and pontificate at the same time. When professionals move from one category to another, without clear intent, they get into trouble, a la Westin.

This is how the ABC news chief sundered a hornets' nest. Cries of indignation were long and loud.

The reaction of Matthew Felling, of the Center for Media and Public Affairs, is typical: "Journalists often try to paint neutral shades with a wide, morally-relevant brush. Westin failed to realize that no brushes are wide enough to be neutral regarding the terrorist attacks."

In an on-line poll, 90 percent of 8,000 respondents felt Westin should be fired from his influential post with ABC news.

Westin had no difficulty reading those tea leaves. He apologized in a formal statement: "Like all Americans, I was horrified by the loss of life at the Pentagon, as well in New York and Pennsylvania on September 11. When asked, I responded that, as a journalist, I did not have an opinion. I was wrong."

Yes, journalists and editors have opinions. It's a fact that 90 percent of so-called mainland journalists describe themselves as liberals.

Subconsciously - or perhaps not, as with the New York Times, Washington Post and ABC News -- opinions creep into the essentials of choice.

After many years laboring in the vineyards of journalism, I have earned the right to my niche -- opinionated in a properly designated spot. Please don't use crayons when writing letters to our editor disagreeing with my judgment - which, according to my wife, is infallible.

PARTING SHOTS

While Senate Majority Leader Daschle, and House Speaker Hastert, were playing chicken over adjournment because of anthrax, they didn't notice that everyone else had already rushed home to urge constituents to keep calm.

* * *

The New York Times states: "Bill Clinton feels cheated that he did not have a 'defining moment' needed to make a really great presidency." Not so. It was called impeachment.

November 1, 2001

.

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Related Tags: ethics, bias, editor, journalism, editing, opinion, objective, objectivity, reporting, reporter, columnist

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:

LinWms@earthlink.net or LinWms@lindseywilliams.org

Website: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with over a thousand of Lin's Editorial & At Large articles written over 40 years.

Also featured in its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book "Boldly Onward," that critically analyzes and develops theories about the original Spanish explorers of America. (fully indexed/searchable)

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