It's usually pretty clear who's good at maintaining objectivity and who lets their beliefs bleed through into their writing or broadcasting. I don't want to start any touchy debate but I feel like the respectable journalists are the ones who can cover even people or groups they disagree with, without the reader being able to tell. Analysis is okay provided it's presented as such up-front. I'm not one for denying your personal beliefs - I'm a Christian first and a journalist second - but unless your job is offering a faith perspective on subject, your job is to report the news without bias.
As for the World Journalism Institute, I very much appreciate several points in their mission statement: "Even those with whom we have profound disagreement deserve our kindness, respect and fairness in presentation," and "the Christian journalist... should not intend to be the censor of ideas before those ideas reach the marketplace... will let the Lord of truth sort things out in the marketplace of ideas."
The same should be said of any reporter, whether Atheist, Republican, American, any personal characteristic that affects one's worldview.
I'd be interested to see how that plays out in actual practice in the WJI's case.
I'd have to agree that journalists must be objective observers who don't let personal feelings impinge on their reporting. That said, I can’t help but wonder why it’s OK to belong to a Christian group but not a political party?
By joining a group such as this, certain assumptions will automatically be made. Right or wrong, they’ll happen much they same way as if you have a Vote Whomever sticker in your yard.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not debating religion or journalists’ ability to practice their faith, however they see fit. I know plenty of Christian journalists who look at their jobs as part of their ministry. Just asking the question: How is this affiliation different than others we as journalists must keep private?
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It's usually pretty clear who's good at maintaining objectivity and who lets their beliefs bleed through into their writing or broadcasting. I don't want to start any touchy debate but I feel like the respectable journalists are the ones who can cover even people or groups they disagree with, without the reader being able to tell. Analysis is okay provided it's presented as such up-front. I'm not one for denying your personal beliefs - I'm a Christian first and a journalist second - but unless your job is offering a faith perspective on subject, your job is to report the news without bias.
As for the World Journalism Institute, I very much appreciate several points in their mission statement: "Even those with whom we have profound disagreement deserve our kindness, respect and fairness in presentation," and "the Christian journalist... should not intend to be the censor of ideas before those ideas reach the marketplace... will let the Lord of truth sort things out in the marketplace of ideas."
The same should be said of any reporter, whether Atheist, Republican, American, any personal characteristic that affects one's worldview.
I'd be interested to see how that plays out in actual practice in the WJI's case.
Sorry for rambling, what do you think?
I'd have to agree that journalists must be objective observers who don't let personal feelings impinge on their reporting. That said, I can’t help but wonder why it’s OK to belong to a Christian group but not a political party?
By joining a group such as this, certain assumptions will automatically be made. Right or wrong, they’ll happen much they same way as if you have a Vote Whomever sticker in your yard.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not debating religion or journalists’ ability to practice their faith, however they see fit. I know plenty of Christian journalists who look at their jobs as part of their ministry. Just asking the question: How is this affiliation different than others we as journalists must keep private?
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