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Maybe I am misunderstanding the term objectivity or bias, or the intent of your comment. If it is a bias, then isn't it a good bias?

• ANPEQ-1 7y ago
  God forbid we do our best to seek objectivity /s
• orpheline 7y ago
  Whether a bias is good or bad depends on the observer. If you agree with it, it's good; otherwise it's not. The parent post expressed hope they were hiring writers who would 'report on the objective state of the world, not pursue a particular perspective'. I was pointing out that these are not opposites. We often think of 'objective' as the opposite of 'biased', but it isn't: it's substituting a personal bias with an impersonal one. This certainly has it's place - it's critical in the sciences - but objectivity has limits when you're dealing with people. A key strength for any good journalist is the ability to contextualize a story for their readers - not just provide objective facts, but answer the question "What does this mean to me?" A journalists' background and personal perspective - their bias - are relevant because they inform that context.
  • stareatgoats 7y ago
    yes, there is much confusion in this area. IMO values determine what is considered relevant for any description of reality - values that may be ubiquitous (in which case the description is 'objective'), or personal/limited to a few (in which case the description is 'biased'). Or so my amateurish thinking goes. I'd be much interested in a more learned perspective on this, but haven't really found anything yet.