A New Objectivity

I've got to admit, I've got writer's block today. There are a couple things I could write about, but I'll hold off on them, at least for this week.

The issue of objectivity in journalism is something that has been on my mind lately. Recently, I visited the Facebook page of a reporter acquaintance, and noticed his political and religious view sections read, "Not allowed to have any." Others have written "Journalism" into those spots.

Let me say that I have nothing against doing that; in fact, I think it's actually pretty funny. But I do believe that it points to a sticky issue in the field that many of those just starting out struggle with.

A lot of journalists believe that we're not supposed to have opinions. And if we do, God help us (oops, that was a religious observation...) if we state it aloud.

Of course, the reasons for that are definitely sound ones. Our profession requires a great deal of responsibility, ethics and trustworthiness. Our audiences need to know that we're not going to let our opinions get in the way of our jobs.

But -- and this is just my personal belief -- I don't think that means we should necessarily have to put our opinions in a box when we take a job. We are still people, after all. We're not sterilized robots. A good journalist will be able to do his or her job fairly, regardless of their feelings on the issue being covered.

Now, I know that if our opinions are well-known, there may be some skepticism or suspicion among our readers. But frankly, look at the unfortunate state of many papers and TV networks today where editorializing is the norm. People are already suspicious.

How often do you hear people saying CNN is liberal and Fox News is conservative? How many people have suggested the "mainstream media" is pandering to the government? I've actually been told that all reporters have a liberal agenda. I guess they don't know me very well.

Maybe if we were more open about what it is we believe, it would put those worries to rest because no one would have to wonder. And if we did allow our opinions to slip through, audiences would be able to spot it quickly and easy, and call us out for it.

In short, what I'm trying to say is that there needs to be greater transparency in journalism if we want to earn the respect and trust of the country again.

I like the ethics policy over at Patch.com. (I am not affiliated with them in any way, just so that's clear.)

At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for them to inject their beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that their beliefs are on the record will cause them to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.

Gatekeepers

In class the other day, we were talking about the changing role of gatekeepers in this new era of journalism. Not too long ago, those in news were seen as trustworthy, authoritative and even infallible by some. We journalists were the only ones that knew the whole story, and we had the power to inform and educate the rest of the world. If we stayed silent, the people wouldn't know. If we lied, most of the time it would go unnoticed.

Today, with the rise of the Internet, social media and citizen journalism, anyone can be their own editor or reporter. Those involved in formal news outlets don't have the same influence and power they once did, and unfortunately the ethical errors of some reporters have ruined the reputation of the whole bunch.

I had an epiphany some time after that. The rise and fall of gatekeeping can be found somewhere else that might be unexpected: the Catholic Church! (Yeah, I know it's strange...bear with me.)

One of the central Bible passages that influenced the early Church is found in St. Matthew's Gospel. Here's the exchange between the Apostle Simon and Jesus (verses 13-19, NAB):

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

There's a lot of weighty stuff here. But the important thing is Simon gets a new name, Petros, which is Greek for "rock." This is confirmed by St. Paul later, as he refers to Peter as Cephas. This is Aramaic for the same term.

Jesus, the cornerstone and head of the Church, made Peter the earthly foundation and authority for the twelve Apostles. He has been granted a position of leadership that Jesus says will be respected both here and in heaven. In short, this is where we find our support for our hierarchy and the Pope; Peter passed on the authority given to him by Christ to other men who came after him. This lineage remains unbroken and the Church still stands firm despite some horrible Popes and bishops over the years. The fact that we haven't fallen apart is a sign of God's grace at work, for sure.

The parallels here are really surprising, if you think about it. A once implicitly trusted leader is now met at every turn with skepticism, ridicule and defiance. The more recent popes have been called misogynistic, pedophiles, legalists, hate-filled, irrelevant and archaic. And these days, every time a story with great impact is written, eyes roll and heads shake. "Well, you know how the media is today," people will say with disgust.

Still, both in journalism and Catholicism, there are an increasing number of those bringing hope and true accountability to their respective organizations.

I don't know if it will be enough to "fix" journalism in its present form, but at least in the Church I can believe confidently that no matter what, "The gates of hell will not prevail."

Against the Grain

I would be remiss if I didn't talk a little bit about the retreat last weekend, which was a lot of fun. The mansion holds so many memories for the upperclassmen who have been there before, and it was particularly meaningful for the seniors graduating in just a few months.

The topic for the retreat focused on living an authentically Catholic sexuality as a young adult. Heaven knows anyone trying to avoid the prevalence of lust and greed in the media is going to have a hard time. We all do, and this weekend we were given tools to make the fight to stay pure a little less agonizing.

It's the job of the media to inform and educate our audiences, but we also carry the added responsibility of influence. Whether we mean it or not, audiences take their cues from TV, print media, and the Web. And unless you've been living in a cave for the last few decades, you've probably seen how pervasive and damaging some of the content is.

Drugs. Excessive drinking. Meaningless sex with any number of people in any number of ways. Objectification. Oppression. Bullying. Violence.

There's also the porn industry, which due to its sheer size and spread deserves a category of its own. Understand, the Church sees sex the most intimate, holy thing that two people can give to each other. They give themselves freely and fully, without reserve and with complete trust. Sex has incredible power over humanity, and it has the potential to create and bond, or destroy and demean. It's not something you want to mess around with, (This, in a nutshell, is why we take strong positions against extramarital sex and birth control.)

One of the poignant moments of the weekend for me was when we split into groups by gender for a private discussion. For the ladies, we all expressed frustration with the way virginity is stigmatized. If you've not had sex by the time you're about 25, most of the world considers you doomed or somehow defective. And porn has created an inaccurate picture of what sex is, and who women are. Many of us carry the secret that we have been made into victims and objects because of it. More than anything, women want to stand up and support the men in our life as they try to honor us. And at the end of the day, we only want to be honored, too.

Check out this clip from the ABC hit drama Grey's Anatomy. It came up in oue discussion and accurately shows the way virginity is treated today:



It was super encouraging to be surrounded by 15 women who all support each other, even when we screw up. And I'm so blessed to have met many strong, Catholic gentlemen who are on the front lines defending our dignity. One day, I believe God will point one out to me.

Until then, I'm a 21-year-old virgin. I've been single for over a year. And you know, it's not so bad.

Catholic Tech

Over the past several ears, our culture has become increasingly bound to our technology. We're device-oriented now in a way we never were before -- I've seen people on campus walk across the street wearing headphones and texting without even looking first.

Some churches has seen declining numbers, and often the people want to blame this on their style of worship. The music might be too "traditional" or "boring." Using social media in a service may be frowned upon. Or maybe, as it is in my church, going to Mass is set aside for worship, and so unrelated conversation happens before or after that.

The world today wants to connect and be engaged everywhere they go. For youth, it might seem like the only way to get their attention is with flashy lights, rock bands and iPhone apps. (Of course, this certainly doesn't apply to every kid or young adult, but it's definitely becoming more common.

What is the Catholic Church doing to keep the attention of our changing media and society? The answers might surprise you.

At the recent address for the World Day of Communications, Pope Benedict gave an important piece of advice to young people: "Make good use of your presence in the digital world." And he gives us a good example to follow. The man has his own Facebook application and YouTube channel.

There are also quite a few very useful Catholic apps for the iPhone/Pod/Pad. Some of these include iMissal, which offers the daily Scripture readings and prayers used at Mass for the next 50 years; Confession, an app that is password protected and helps penitents prepare to confess with questions and prayers; and iPieta, an app that includes the full Liturgy of the Hours, writings of the saints and popes, and Scripture. The Bible is also available in virtually every translation you can think of. They are all worthy investments, for sure (though in full disclosure, I only have two of those).

It's certainly a good time to be alive for Catholic techies. :) Though sometimes, it's necessary to pull away from it all. I'm leaving now for retreat with my Catholic Campus Ministry friends, my last as a Rowan student. Check back next week for a reflection, and please keep us in your prayers.