Dissecting ‘he said, she said’ news: fundamental objections to objective journalism

Despite persistent rumors to the contrary in this social media age, objectivity in journalism is far from dead. Therefore, it remains relevant to dissect objectivity in journalism. Building on excellent scholarship and the author’s experience of teaching a critical view on the topic for over a decade, this article argues that producing objective news often leads journalists astray from truth, instead of towards it. The particular rules that journalists apply to reach objectivity frequently result in giving free rein to the dissemination of propaganda by elites. This article means to assist citizens and students of journalism in developing news literacy by providing an accessible but scholarly introduction to fundamental problems with objectivity as a journalistic practice. To that end, this article includes everyday examples and dissection of a typical, objective news article.