Objectivity in Journalism

"Objective" is defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary as "not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts." In terms of journalism, this means having the ability to present a story by relaying only the facts without spinning them to promote an agenda. While it is important to try to maintain a standard of honesty and to present the truth as clearly as possible, the fact is that it is nearly impossible to completely strip away all of one's biases. We're not robots. I don't believe that people ought to expect journalists to be emotionless, to have no thoughts or opinions. What they can expect is for those opinions to not alter the truth. 

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/readme/2006/03/the_twilight_of_objectivity.html

The above article expresses the idea that objectivity is not a value, because the impossibility of the concept forces journalists to hide the real meaning of a story in an attempt to appear unbiased. Michael Kinsley argues that opinion journalists can actually be more honest because they can look at the big picture and aren't trying to hide anything. I agree. In today's information-rich world, the facts are out there. What we need from our journalists is an interpretation of the facts, and sometimes that requires that journalists express opinions and take a stand. I also don't believe that we should require journalists to be emotionless. I gain respect for reporters and writers when they humanize an issue.