The last few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about the ways that NCPR and our journalism are perceived.<\/p>\n
I had a particularly ugly conversation with someone in the environmental community. <\/p>\n
We also took a lot of flack from anti-Park Agency folks, convinced that we’re carrying water for the state.<\/p>\n
A widely-shared view seems to be that there’s little faith — and maybe little interest — in a news organization that tries to be objective.<\/p>\n
For some, the fact that we have ‘public radio’ in our name is a badge of shame, a clear sign of a lefty-liberal agenda.<\/p>\n
Others are frustrated that we’re not playing an advocacy role. <\/p>\n
And some just plain aren’t buying it: They believe that the whole concept of independence and balance are smokescreens for a hidden agenda.<\/p>\n
My own views on this are (not surprisingly) pretty different. I’m an old school news guy. (I started working as a reporter in 1984…)<\/p>\n
I work hard to make sure that my loyalty is to the story, to the facts, to fairness, not to the agendas of the people in my stories.<\/p>\n
(I could go on about this, but I’ll say simply that I love it when my initial ideas about an issue turn out to be wrong. I love surprises and complexity. That’s why I’m a journalist, really.)<\/p>\n
But a growing number of critics — including some of the best media critics in the country — say objectivity just isn’t possible.<\/p>\n
Bias is human, they say. We all have agendas, favorites, prejudices. <\/p>\n
This particular debate comes at a time when the North Country has a thriving and multifaceted journalism culture.<\/p>\n
New blogs, magazines, TV, newspapers, AM radio, a medley of different public radio stations offer a rich discourse about our lives and arguments.<\/p>\n
So what do you think? Do you prefer your news sources to come with a particular and openly-stated agenda? <\/p>\n
Or do you think “objective” is still a valid ideal, something you want in the mix?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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