Objectively Engaged Journalism: An Ethic (Volume 78) (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas)

"A timely call for a new ethic of journalism engagement for today's troubled media sphere, Objectively Engaged Journalism argues that media should be neither neutral nor partisan but engaged in protecting egalitarian democracy. It shows how journalists, professional or citizen, can be both objective in method and dedicated to improving a global public sphere toxic with disinformation, fake news, and extremism. Drawing from history, ethics, and current media issues, Stephen Ward rejects the ideals of neutrality and "just the facts" objectivity, showing how they are based on invalid dualistic thinking with deep roots in Western culture. He presents a theory of pragmatic objectivity and applies it to journalism. Journalism's role in interpreting culture, he argues, needs a form of objectivity that embraces human strengths and limitations. Defining responsible journalism as situated, imperfect inquiry, Objectively Engaged Journalism is one of the first systematic studies of the ethical foundations of engaged journalism for a media that is increasingly perspectival and embedded in society."-- Provided by publisher Providing a new ethical theory of objective engagement for digital, global journalism. A timely call for a new ethic of journalism engagement for today's troubled media sphere, __Objectively Engaged Journalism__ argues that media should be neither neutral nor partisan but engaged in protecting egalitarian democracy. It shows how journalists, professional or citizen, can be both objective in method and dedicated to improving a global public sphere toxic with disinformation, fake news, and extremism. This is one of the first systematic studies of the ethical foundations of engaged journalism for a media that is increasingly perspectival and embedded in society. Cover Copyright Contents Acknowledgments Part One Deconstructing 1 Introduction: History, Holism, and Dualism 2 Objectivity Naturalized 3 Objectivity of Fact 4 Objectivity as Correct Construction Part Two Reconstructing 5 Objectivity with a Human Face, Part 1: Objectivity in Situ 6 Objectivity with a Human Face, Part 2: Objectivity in Engagement 7 Objectively Engaged Journalism 8 Engagement: Methods and Aims Epilogue Benefits of Objective Engagement Bibliography Index