Thoughts on objectivity

I grew up in the shadow of a hundred churches.

OK, maybe not literally, but my hometown of Keystone Heights, Fla., did used to hold the world record for most churches in a square mile.

At a young age, I was familiar with the term “the liberal media” – a radical group of people who couldn’t get anything right. It sounded like all the newspapers were out to get the conservatives, and there was no way of redeeming the situation. The media was a lost cause.

But in college, I made an important distinction that began to define not only the way I see the media, but also the way I deal with conflict and listen to others.

Opinions belong on the opinions page.

I realized the things that typically brand newspapers as liberal are columns or editorials in the opinions section. These one-sided pieces are sacred places where people can say whatever-the-heck they want. People are entitled to their opinions. You don’t have to agree, but that’s kind of the beauty of it. They still get to talk.

The opinions section is NOT to be confused with the news section, and that’s where a lot of media-consumers go amiss.

The news section is the sacred place where opinions get dropped at the threshold and we can discuss things from a nonjudgmental perspective as adults. We can let both sides talk and hear them out.

I’m not saying every news writer can check their bias at the door when they write a news story. What I am saying is that objectivity is the point and the beauty of journalism, even though a lot of reporters miss the mark.

With that said, be careful who and what you listen to. The voices you listen to will grow to define you. They can make you bitter, paranoid and resentful. Or they can make you better informed, wiser and well rounded. It all depends on how you process what you hear.

My plea to you is to ask questions. Please, before you judge a message, an article, a speech, a group, a person, ask these questions. Who is saying this? What is the source? Are they talking about a matter of fact or of opinion?

Before you close yourself off from someone whom you disagree with, please ask, “What insight can I take away from this?” Because even when you disagree with someone, you can still learn something valuable about them or about the issue from a discussion.

The liberals aren’t bad. The conservatives aren’t evil. They’re not the problem. They just have opinions and feelings and share them forcefully. It’s our job as media-consumers to listen to what they say and to respond logically before we respond emotionally.

Every now and then when I visit my hometown, I’ll run into an old family friend, and they’ll ask how life in the newspaper business is going. “Are you keeping the liberal media in check?” they’ll more-than-likely quip.

When that happens, I just smile, and I say, “I’m doing my job.” Because keeping the liberal media, or the conservative media, or anything else in check isn’t my job.

My job as a reporter is to ask the right questions about the people and information I’m presented with.

It’s not much different than your job as a media consumer.

Be mindful of the voices you’re listening to, and ask the right questions.