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'I'm a little concerned about this notion everybody wants us to be objective,' Jennings said. Jennings said that everyone - even journalists - have points of view through which they filter their perception of the news. It could be race, sex or income. But, he said, reporters are ideally trained to be as objective as possible. 'And when we don't think we can be fully objective, to be fair.'

Peter Jennings#4

JournalismEthicsObjectivityJustice

About this quote

What does it mean?
Jennings argues complete objectivity is unlikely but fairness remains a journalistic goal.
In plain terms
Absolute objectivity is hard, but fairness is possible.
What can you take from it?
Strive for fairness when full neutrality fails.

Where it applies

  • editorial standards
  • reporting guidelines
  • public discourse

Putting it to work

  • prioritize fairness
  • acknowledge perspective

Questions to consider

  • Can journalists ever be truly objective?
  • How do you define fairness in news?

Another view

It offers no clear metric for measuring fairness.

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