Journalism in Crisis 09: 'Recognising one's subjectivity allows one to be fair' Ivor Gaber tells conference
One can be fair and accurate while dismissing notion of 'one truth' says journalism professor
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"The debate - 'is there such a thing as objectivity?' - has long since passed," Ivor Gaber told participants at the University of Westminster Crisis in Journalism event. The broadcaster, consultant and journalism professor at City University, who is a specialist in political communications, said that one can be fair and accurate, whilst dismissing the notion of 'the truth,' or one truth.
"There's no such thing as objectivity but it's something to be aspired to," Gaber said at the first day of the conference, held in association with the British Journalism Review. Instead, he said, journalists should acknowledge their own subjectivity in order to achieve balance.
"Recognising one's subjectivity allows one to be fair," he said.
While working at the BBC, he said, it worried him that while some journalists would discuss stories over drinks after work, other journalists maintained they were politically neutral.
"What always bothered me were those people (...) who claimed 'I don't have any politics,'" Gaber said.
Nonetheless, 'there are such things as the facts,' he said, adding that he thinks "one has to work really hard to get as much accurate information as you can."
In ascertaining the most important element of the story, he said, a journalist needs to ask 'so what?'
While facts are important, explaining the significance of a story is equally vital: it was not enough to answer 'who, what and why,' he explained.
Garber also outlined what he called 'seven new pillars of media wisdom':
- 1. Thou shalt recognise one's own subjectivity
- 2. Thou shalt strive to be fair
- 3. Thou shalt strive to be accurate
- 4. Thou shalt strive to be thorough
- 5. Thou shalt strive seek verification
- 6. Thou shalt be transparent
- 7. Thou shalt be accountable
