I watched Goodnight and Good Luck last week for the first time. I have always wanted to watch it, and my Comms 239 class finally gave me the motivation to go and rent it. I find that period in time very interesting. Communism. The Red Scare. Senator McCarthy. It makes me proud to want to be a journalist. Edward Murrow is inspiring and courageous.
This movie and class discussions have stirred my thoughts on objectivity. I am not sure if it is possible to completely separate one's views, opinions, and beliefs. These things have been ingrained in one's person for years. How can you pretend or ignore things you believe to be wrong in the name of objectivity? I suppose the key is being open minded?
The news in Omaha surrounds the defeat of the bailout as well as increased frequency of crime in the area. Omaha is a segregated city with African Americans living in the north part of the city, Hispanics in the south, and middle-class Caucasians in the west. Crime is constantly occurring in north Omaha, occupying the police. If you went to West Omaha, you would rarely find a police car, if ever. On a journalistic note, I've noticed that the www.Omaha.com website is fairly organized compared to other Omaha news outlet websites, such as www.ketv.com.
About Me
- Jordan
- I go to college at Brigham Young University in Utah. I am a journalist.
1 comment:
First off, I am glad you watched the movie. It is of my favorites, and I have tried to convince everyone that it is fascinating despite being full of dialogue and shot in B&W.
Second, in regard to your question about objectivity, I have been thinking about that a lot also. Even in the case of Murrow, he told a story in an objective WAY but it wasn't necessarily an objective story. His point was to expose McCarthy. His moral compass was pointed in (what I, and probably most people feel was) the right direction. He didn't let his "journalistic duty" get in the way of that. I think, especially as LDS Journalists, that this is something we will run into a lot. Reporting on things we don't agree with, or know are wrong. Honestly, I don't think there is a YES or a NO, but being open minded would be an important factor in the decision making.
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