January 2002
MAINE MEDIA & MARKETING
The importance of objectivity in the media
Copyright © 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
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On January 24, The Ad Club of Maine will kick off its slate of 2002 programs with Behind the Nightly News: A Discussion of Ethics in TV Journalism. (See below for information on attending) The program will feature a panel of television pros including news directors, anchors and reporters from WMTW, WGME, WCSH, and WPXT. Barbara Schlichtman, assistant professor of journalism in the media studies program at the University of Southern Maine, will moderate the discussion.
Schlichtman has a background in print and new media journalism and has worked as a reporter, bureau chief, editor and online editor at daily newspapers and news web sites. Her most recent position outside of academics was legal news editor at CNN Interactive in Atlanta. I checked in with Schlichtman to get a preview of her views on ethics in the newsroom.
Kimberly McCall: Please tell us about the media studies classes you teach at USM.
Barbara Schlichtman: I teach the journalism courses for the media studies program. This is my first year with the university, and I’m teaching news writing, free speech in the United States, opinion writing, copyediting and HTML-online journalism.
My goal is to develop a curriculum where students graduate with the skills to walk right into a newsroom and get to work, which means being able to cover a City Council meeting or edit a story using Associated Press Style.
McCall: How does a news organization work to serve the needs of its audience, make money and maintain ethics standards?
Schlichtman: A news organization best serves its audience and its economic interests by maintaining a separation between the newsroom and the advertising department and by offering thorough, unbiased coverage. If a newsroom is not independent of its advertising department then the integrity of the organization is lessened and the entire organization suffers. A news organization must protect this separation with a vengeance. Editors, reporters and producers should not create stories thinking, "What will the car dealer think?" Journalists have a duty to report the news to the best of their ability without being influenced by outside forces. If they cater to economic interests then they violate their professional ethics, compromise the integrity of their organization and ultimately lose their audience. Where the audience goes, the advertisers will follow. As a former managing editor of mine used to say when the issue arose, "They don’t advertise with us because they like us. They advertise with us because it works."
McCall: In his new book "Bias," Bernard Goldberg asserts that major networks, including CBS, ABC and NBC manipulate stories to conform to a left-leaning agenda (one could make the same case for Fox's conservative bent). How does a media outlet maintain its objectivity, despite management's conservative or liberal views?
Schlichtman: A media outlet maintains objectivity by hiring journalists dedicated to the profession. A journalist is only as good as his or her credibility. I believe the public is smart. If it suspects a journalist of promoting an agenda, then that journalist loses the ability to do his or her job. I acknowledge that studies show that working journalists tend to have liberal politics than not. I would say these studies are correct. However, I want to emphasize that the journalists with whom I have worked, from small weeklies to CNN, have always worked toward balance, objectivity and fairness in their stories. I know that books and studies constantly discuss corporate influence on news coverage. But, my own experience does not bear that out. No one has ever tried to influence me as a reporter or editor, nor have I heard of a colleague being subject to such influence.
For example, I handled legal news for CNN.com during the Bush/Gore election last year. Editors for CNN.com, including myself, bent over backwards to ensure the coverage was balanced and fair for both candidates. The issue of promoting a political agenda or "slant" would have been inconceivable in that environment and would have cost someone respect among his or her colleagues.
It is important to remember that "the media" is simply many individuals pursuing a profession that they love. In general, these people strive to make the decision that will best serve their audiences. Sometimes they make wrong decisions, but given the pace with which decisions are made mistakes will happen. I am concerned about the size of media organizations because I think fewer large outlets will lead to a homogenization of the news. Consumers should pay attention to the news source when reading papers and watching television. We do not want to become a society satisfied with receiving only wire service stories. I also hope that in the aftermath of September 11, news organizations will develop a more global approach to news coverage by offering more international news and looking at stories from different angles.
MORE INFORMATION
The Ad Club of Maine’s program Behind the Nightly News: A Discussion of Ethics in TV Journalism is Thursday, January 24th, 11:30 to1:30 at Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Tickets are $20 for members/$25 for non members. Reserve your seat by calling 829-2096.
Kimberly McCall is a writer and the president of McCall Media & Marketing, Inc., a business communications company in Freeport, Maine. The monthly "Sales Force" columnist and frequent contributor for Entrepreneur magazine, McCall also contributes to inc.com and The Wall Street Journal's StartupJournal.com. Sign up for her free marketing bulletin at www.MarketingAngel.com or contact McCall at 207-865-0055.