We want so much from our journalists these days - perfection really. But in so many other areas we're ok with shallow, weak, easy and cliche. Why don't we hold others to a similar standard: advertisers, businesses, teachers, etc,..... Are they all unbiased? Do we call them out when they're not? Should everyone try to do better? Should everyone try to stop relying so heavily on petty biases?
I'm not sure I have the answers. Maybe without our stereotypes, there would be more problems. I just wonder sometimes why people can get so worked up in one area and seemingly not care in others.
4 comments:
Stereotypes are what keep the people entertained and keeps their attention...sadly. At least that's how I see it as. I do believe that is heavily biased though, so your question is a very good question.
All the stereotypes of lesbians being "dykes" with short hair and big, gays being very emotion with tight clothes on, african-americans/blacks being "gangsters" and always the ones being blamed for robberies, and the list goes on.
Yes we have movies on this stuff, and yes some of these stereotypes are actually seen in the real world, but not all of these people are stereotypically seen as what some people think they should be.
Stereotypes are so wrong that people make them look right for the attention.
Journalists seek to be unbiased; therefore, hopefully, aren't holding onto those stereotypes.
But as you said with holding other professions at high standards, we should big time. These are the people that are biased and are seen as being right because no one stops them from doing the thing that is wrong.
We, the people, have to stop relying on biases and stereotypes because that is what makes the world such a hateful place and issues/problems/arguments arise out of it eventually creating a big, big dispute that may eventually lead to the political/congressional level, and there's no point in doing so!
Stereotypes and bias/unethical things are way over-rated.
While I agree that stereotypes often are hurtful to individuals, they also play a big role in a communities conversations. Without common ground and understanding, words don't have as much meaning. In fact, may have no meaning.
Even a stereotype can help a community of people to engage in conversation and understanding.
However, they can also become crutches and cause major harm within a community.
People get worked up because traditionally, the journalists have set the "voice of God" as their ideal standard, the idea that a journalist is a know-everything beacon of knowledge, able to distribute information more fairly and justly than the U.S. Supreme Court.
Of course, nowdays we know journalists are human as well. Yet, the stigma remains, the Woodruf-era of journalism where everyone seeks the bigger truth, because they are the bigger people.
Will "my generation" of journalist, the "curators and tour guides of knowledge"-class of journalist, be held to AS high standards? I don't know... I kind of hope so, and hope not at the same time. I'm not pretending I'm the ideal journalist, because, the ideal journalist is morphing into something different. Once I know what that ideal is, I can try to adapt to it.
Until then, and until public opinion has been swayed by new journalistic heroes that the institutional mindset is different now... journalist will be easy targets, because, they've get themselves up so high, it's fun to watch them fall so hard.
Charles, in fact journalists are better trained and prepared to do their work today than EVER before. However, that doesn't mean they're perfect.
I think in the past, our "voices of the nation" rose up from the ranks because they were just that darn good. They didn't have any formal journalism training - there was no journalism education. What we had were people with tons of passion for what they were doing.
Today, we have lots of people with journalism degrees but not always that passion to go with it. It's like people picking accounting or psychology as a major - you've got to pick something, right!
I think your generation will do a great job. Young people like you, who are passionate for this work and have watched some of the failings of my generation, will help raise journalism to a higher level. However, I'm not so sure we'll still be calling you a journalists.
Maybe there's a better term for the future of this industry, considering all the changes.....
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