Networked Journalism Section Two

Objectivity and How are Activists taking up the role of Journalists?

In regard to activist journalism there are two schools of thought. The first being outlook on this topic is that advocacy and journalism are separate entities resulting from objectivity. While objectivity is what people consider to be a pillar of Journalism, it is hard to maintain as many journalists are influenced by their beliefs or morals. In regard to activist journalism this is not a possibility as individuals cannot be objective when supporting activism. Therefore they cannot be authentic journalists. Many who participate in activist journalism are self-proclaimed journalists, centering focus on social media to spread their agenda. Those involved in journalism like to place a difference between activism and journalism.

            The second way to look at this is that journalism is based on telling the truth and if advocating for a certain group, program or other body of activism is a means of doing it then journalism and activism go hand in hand. Glenn Greenwald reports for The Guardian and according to the New York Times he is “an activist who is deeply suspicious of government and the national security apparatus, and he is a zealous defender of privacy and civil rights,” Greenwald is also a journalist.

            Regardless of the outlook on modern journalism and activist journalism there is a fight between remaining objective versus being subjective. This is not likely to vanish soon as historically speaking journalism has had a highly political agenda among other forms of activism and for that reason barriers have been broken and will continue to do so in the future.

Discussion Questions

•      Is it possible for a journalist remain objective when pursuing a cause or working for activism?
•      What constitutes journalism in an environment in which professional reporters work alongside a new generation of online communicators media activists, (those who use social platforms or modern technology as a means of communication and advocacy journalism)?

References

Albeanu, Catalina. "When Is Activism in Journalism Necessary?" UK

Journalism. N.p., 19 June 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

Cheung, Kin. "What's the Difference Between Activism and Journalism?"

Nieman Reports Whats the Difference Between Activism and Journalism Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

Carr, David. "Journalism, Even When It’s Tilted." The New York Times. The New York Times,

30 June 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.