Value: A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
Rupert Murdoch: Likes conservatism, Christianity, expanding his business and long walks on the beach (to discuss further expansions of his many businesses).
One's values always directly effect how one acts in their everyday lives. They are an integral part of our lives. They effect how we talk to others, who we connect with, and unfortunately for objectivity in journalism, they can effect the facts.
Within journalism, objectivity is the act of neutrality. It is attempting (however difficult it is to do) to maintain a lack of bias. As Jay Rosen calls it, it is 'The View from Nowhere', it is remaining impartial, taking a step back and looking at the big picture.
Values have a way of undermining objectivity. How can someone remain partial if their values are against what is being said?
The Documentary 'Outfoxed: Rupurt Murdoch's War on Journalism' (which you can watch here) paints Murdoch and Fox News in a light the suggests that their Republican viewpoints and values are altering the facts that they are presenting.
Is this fair? Having watched the video, I have to agree that it seems to be. Conservative values are leaking out of every Fox News broadcast like oil had leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. It seems prudent to assume that Murdoch's values alter the facts to better serve his ideologies and values.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), which is featured heavily in 'Outfoxed', calls Fox News the most Biased Name in News, and then goes on to describe their heavy right wing leanings.
Most argue that there is no objectivity in Fox News. It is a station that provides right wing, conservative viewpoints and values, and the 'liberal' viewpoints it presents are presented as 'stupid' or 'weak'. It is not objective in the slightest. The idea of balance (where Fox News presents itself as 'Fair and Balanced') means allowing allowing all sides to state their points. Fox News doesn't seem to be accomplishing this balance.
It all comes down to popularity. Look at Dana Milbanks' comments here (and read the rest if you haven't yet). It shows how by presenting the truth, and just the truth, you can become hated by everyone, the left and the right.
Maybe it makes sense why Murdoch and Fox News stick to their values. Values sell.
No comments:
Post a Comment