Some news today about the news. The news is a new book about journalism written by one of the nation’s top journalists, the former Executive Editor of the Washington Post, Martin Baron.
His book that comes out today comes at a critical time when journalism is being criticized and some journalists even attacked and killed as one was this week in Philadelphia.
Much of what is happening revolves around accusations of journalists being bias in their reporting and telling of the news.
In this book, the respected journalist offers his thoughts on why news organizations may need a different standard for fairness in journalism.
He suggests what an objective reality. Reporting the news “honorably, thoroughly, fairly, with an open mind and with a reverence for evidence over our own opinion.”
As he puts it, “Journalists routinely expect objectivity from others so journalists should insist on it for ourselves as well….especially he says, with the “lightning-fast spread of misinformation, disinformation and crackpot conspiracy theories of today.”
And that’s why these comments from such a well-respected journalist come at a very good time, when truth itself is being questioned about not only journalism but it seems about almost every institution.
It was Pontius Pilate who unknowingly asked what could be the most important question to ask these days, “What is truth?”
It’s been said that without truth, there is chaos. Welcome to our world.
(Photo Getty Images)
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