Just the Facts: How "objectivity" Came to Define American Journalism
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Book Overview
If American journalism were a religion, as it has been called, then its supreme deity would be "objectivity." The high priests of the profession worship the concept, while the iconoclasts of advocacy journalism, new journalism, and cyberjournalism consider objectivity a golden calf. Meanwhile, a groundswell of tabloids and talk shows and the increasing infringement of market concerns make a renewed discussion of the validity, possibility, and aim of objectivity a crucial pursuit. Despite its position as the orbital sun of journalistic ethics, objectivity--until now--has had no historian. David T. Z. Mindich reaches back to the nineteenth century to recover the lost history and meaning of this central tenet of American journalism. His book draws on high profile cases, showing the degree to which journalism and its evolving commitment to objectivity altered-and in some cases limited--the public's understanding of events and issues. Mindich devotes each chapter to a particular component of this ethic-detachment, nonpartisanship, the inverted pyramid style, facticity, and balance. Through this combination of history and cultural criticism, Mindich provides a profound meditation on the structure, promise, and limits of objectivity in the age of cybermedia.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0814756131
ISBN13:9780814756133
Release Date:November 1998
Publisher:New York University Press
Length:1 Pages
Weight:1.00 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 6.3" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
3 ratings
A great source for anybody researching history of journalism
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
I have ready many books on journalism and its historical significance, but none traces how objectivity has shaped the profession like "Just the Facts." I heartily recommend this unique and compelling book for anyone interested in the field and how it came to be.
Fine book, historical analysis of objectivity
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
I bought this book after reading the favorable review in the Christian Science Monitor. It is a useful book for journalists and people interested in media history. Its historical analysis of objectivity is more needed than ever, with journalism getting more sensational by the day.
Excellent!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
This is one of the best treatments of journalism I've ever read. It is both a gripping historical narrative (with an excellent chapter on how the New York Times covered lynching) and a serious intellectual history of an idea central to journalism: how journalists started to think of themselves as objective. At its core, it is also a cultural history of the nineteenth century. Perhaps this review makes the book sound like it's a bit of everything, but the chapters are focused and interesting. I recommend it to anyone interested in journalism and/or intellectual history.
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