New Book by ODU Prof Explores the Eclipse of Objectivity in Journalism Today

April 26, 2012

Modern mainstream journalism faces a very real disturbance of its foundational premise that credible news is gathered and articulated from an objective stance. A new collection of essays, co-edited by Burton St. John III, associate professor of communication at Old Dominion University, is one of the few scholarly books within the last decade that is fully devoted to the subject of journalistic objectivity.

"News with a View: Essays on the Eclipse of Objectivity in Modern Journalism" posits that the traditional notion of objectivity is changing as professional journalists grapple with a rapidly evolving news terrain - one that has become increasingly crowded by those with no journalistic credentials.

St. John and co-editor Kirsten A. Johnson of Elizabethtown College (Pa.) organize submissions from contributors who make the case that the journalists' impulse to hold onto objectivity, and to ignore the increasing subjectivities to which citizens are attuned, actually contributes to the news media's disconnect from today's news consumer. Revealing how traditional journalism needs to incorporate "post-objective" stances, these essays stimulate further thought and conversation about news with a view in both theory and practice, the editors suggest.

The book, published by McFarland Press, offers new examinations of how historical antecedents, current dilemmas, international aspects and theoretical considerations contribute to the current "post-objective" media marketplace.