Racism and journalism: The dangers of returning to the ‘safe-space’ of objectivity

Abstract

Although a contested term in journalism research, the need for a critique of objectivity is increased by responses to the current “crisis of journalism,” which have united around the rediscovery of sacred journalistic ideals such as truth, facts, and autonomy. In particular, objectivity must be critiqued for its role in the persistence of racism in liberal democratic journalism, a persistence that runs across different funding models and organizational structures. Objectivity, as a contested and flexible political concept, has proven incapable of addressing systemic racism. I argue that objectivity needs to be understood as an inherently political concept, which is as much proscriptive as descriptive in the way it shapes the field of journalism and the profession’s relationship to political and social life. Rather than return to the safe ground of autonomy, truth and facts, professional, liberal journalism must recognize its foundations within racially unequal political and social structures.

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“…Journalists' analysis of information, worldview, and how they present facts to the audience can make the omission of racial minorities in the news normal (Aujla-Sidhu, 2022). Even journalism's core tenet, objectivity, consistently mirrors "the racial hierarchy of society" (Budarick, 2022). The idea of objectivity in journalism purports that reporters operate external to the world of systemic racism, and that blocks the news media from acknowledging the racism that it upholds and perpetuates; moreover, journalism rarely acknowledges that it is rooted in racist structures and a social racial hierarchy (Budarick, 2022).…”

“…Whiteness dominates journalism because it is erected on a system that assumes that whiteness is neutral (Budarick, 2022). Whiteness is embedded in journalism through an abundance of White practitioners, the outlook they have, and how news is gathered and presented (Alemán, 2014a).…”

“…Even journalism’s core tenet, objectivity, consistently mirrors “the racial hierarchy of society” (Budarick, 2022). The idea of objectivity in journalism purports that reporters operate external to the world of systemic racism, and that blocks the news media from acknowledging the racism that it upholds and perpetuates; moreover, journalism rarely acknowledges that it is rooted in racist structures and a social racial hierarchy (Budarick, 2022). Journalists of color also reflect whiteness (Alemán, 2014a).…”