SMPA Articles

Lies, Journalism, and Objectivity - David Leonhardt

  • News has to be careful when saying "lie" because it can be misinterpreted and misleading. -

  • Gerard Baker, editor of The Wall Street Journal, stirred controversy on television, prompting him to clarify his stance in an Op-Ed where he defended the cautious use of the term "lie" when discussing politicians, including Donald Trump. He argued that "lie" implies deliberate intent to mislead, which is difficult to prove, suggesting "untruth" as a more appropriate term. While acknowledging that the media should sometimes assess motives, he cautioned against labeling statements as lies, fearing it compromises objectivity. The article emphasizes the tension news organizations face between appearing subjective and conveying factual information, urging Baker to prioritize honesty over caution in reporting.

A. G. Sulzberger's 2024 Reuters Memorial Lecture: Journalistic independence in a time of division - Reuters

  • A. G. Sulzberger highlights the critical importance of journalistic independence in addressing global challenges amidst rising misinformation and polarization. He defines it as a commitment to open-mindedness and rigorous fact-checking, requiring courage to confront uncomfortable truths. Despite facing criticism from all sides, he emphasizes that independence is essential for covering contentious issues. Sulzberger argues that true journalistic integrity is tested in contested areas, where maintaining impartiality and factual accuracy is vital, even in the face of backlash.

  • "Our job as journalists is firmly rooted in the present: to arm society with the information and context it needs to thoughtfully grapple with issues of the day. The belief that an informed public makes better decisions is perhaps the most hopeful conceit of an independent press."

  • "Helping people understand the facts and each other is one of the greatest services journalism can provide the public”

A Test of the News - Wesley Lowery

  • The article argues that democracy is under threat from misinformation and a long-term campaign to undermine the media's credibility. It criticizes the press for prioritizing the appearance of objectivity over factual reporting, which distorts truth. While some industry figures defend traditional objectivity, the author calls for a commitment to principled journalism that reflects diversity and resists economic pressures, emphasizing that real reform is necessary for a healthier media landscape. 

  • Lippmann emphasized the need for critical thinking in journalism education and urged reporters to acknowledge their biases rather than claiming objectivity. He believed that recognizing their limitations would enable journalists to develop more effective methods for separating fact from opinion. The article suggests that today's media should heed Lippmann’s lessons instead of misappropriating his ideas. 

  • Despite claims of political independence, the press remains bound by capitalist interests, prioritizing sensationalism and quick updates over substantive reporting. The piece emphasizes the need to recognize that claims of objectivity have historically masked deeper biases and that meaningful change in journalism requires confronting these realities rather than clinging to outdated ideals.

  • It argues that journalism must recognize each "story" as a mosaic requiring diverse voices for a complete understanding. A robust media ecosystem, reflecting America’s demographics, is essential. Furthermore, journalists' impartiality should be judged by their work, not personal beliefs. The piece calls for a commitment to diversity and fair representation to uphold truth and democracy in journalism.

  • The article outlines six essential methods for improving journalism to better reflect diverse perspectives and serve multiracial democracy:

    • Rigor: Journalists must thoroughly investigate stories before publication to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness.

    • Fairness: Each side of a story should receive a good-faith hearing, acknowledging the complexity of issues rather than framing them in black-and-white terms.

    • Context: Journalism should provide meaningful context to facts, helping readers understand their relevance and connections to broader events.

    • Transparency: Journalists should be open about their potential biases and conflicts of interest, recognizing their humanity and investment in societal outcomes.

    • Nuance: Good journalism must embrace complexity, avoiding simplistic narratives and acknowledging the gray areas of issues.

    • Clarity: When the evidence is clear, journalists should communicate the truth directly, avoiding euphemisms to inform the public accurately.

We want objective judges and doctors. Why not journalists too? - Martin Baron

  • Objectivity is not neutrality. It is not on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand journalism. It is not false balance or both-sidesism. It is not giving equal weight to opposing arguments when the evidence points overwhelmingly in one direction. It does not suggest that we as journalists should engage in meticulous, thorough research only to surrender to cowardice by failing to report the facts we’ve worked so hard to discover. - As Rosenstiel and Kovach pointed out, “the method is objective, not the journalist,” and “the key was in the discipline of the craft.”

Newsrooms that move beyond ‘objectivity’ can build trust - Leonard Downie Junior

  • "We urge news organizations to, first, strive not just for accuracy based on verifiable facts but also for truth, " reflecting diversity, and transparency about the news gathering process.

The controversy over whether the media should call Trump’s racist tweets “racist,” explained - Matthew Yglesias

  • Peter Baker’s New York Times article critiques President Trump’s overtly racist Twitter tirade against four congresswomen of color, arguing he deliberately stoked racial tensions more openly than any previous president. The media's response varied, with the Washington Post labeling his tweets as "racist" while NPR avoided that term, sparking debate over journalistic objectivity. This reflects broader disagreements on racism's definition between progressives, who see it as systemic, and conservatives, who often view it as more individualistic. Ultimately, Baker highlights how labeling Trump's rhetoric influences public perception and underscores deep societal divides.

Pessimism in News Media Headlines - David Rozado

  •  On one hand, there have been significant technological advancements that suggest optimism, (improvements in productivity, wealth, health, and access to knowledge) and positive global trends (poverty reduction and decreasing child mortality) but there are also troubling trends in western society (declining social trust, fertility, and social connections, along with rising loneliness, worsening mental health, political polarization, and increasing suicide rates.)

Journalists believe news and opinion are separate, but readers can’t tell the difference - Kevin M. Lerner

  • James Bennet, the opinion editor of The New York Times, resigned after a controversial op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton advocating military action against protests sparked public and internal backlash, particularly from younger staff. This incident underscores the blurred lines between news and opinion in journalism, as many readers struggle to distinguish between the two, often criticizing the newspaper as a whole rather than recognizing the separation. Historically, newspapers have evolved from partisan platforms to emphasize factual reporting, but the rise of online media has further complicated this distinction, necessitating clearer communication from news organizations about their editorial processes to maintain trust and credibility.


The Never-Ending War Between the White House and the Press - Jack Shafer

  • "The Presidents vs. the Press," Harold Holzer explores the tumultuous relationship between U.S. presidents and the media over the past 250 years, arguing that while President Trump has certainly antagonized the press, he doesn't rank among the worst offenders of the First Amendment (John Adams- sedition laws; Abraham Lincoln - took aggressive measures against dissent during the Civil War; Richard Nixon - notorious animosity towards journalists) 

  • The book examines how presidents have traditionally viewed information as power, often seeking to control or manipulate it.

‘Normal America’ Is Not A Small Town Of White People - Jed Kolko

  • By this measure, the metropolitan area that looks most like the U.S. is New Haven, Connecticut, followed by Tampa, Florida, and Hartford, Connecticut. But the places that look today most like 1950 America are not large metros but rather smaller metros and rural areas. 

Why the media struggle to cover threats to democracy - Danny Hayes

  • While major news organizations have established dedicated teams to cover democratic challenges, recent studies suggest that their efforts may not be enough. Journalists often adhere to norms of objectivity and balance, which may prevent them from adequately addressing the implications of candidates who reject electoral legitimacy. Also, while journalists support increasing trust in elections, they also feel compelled to allow election deniers to express their views, creating a tension between protecting democracy and maintaining journalistic standards.

Republicans have long feuded with the mainstream media. Now many are shutting them out. - Danielle Kurtzleben

  •  However, candidates aren't incentivized to talk to the press for democracy's sake; they talk because it serves their interests.

What Does ‘Off the Record’ Really Mean? - Matt Flegenheimer

  • The article explores the nuances of "off the record" conversations in journalism, particularly in light of President Trump's public disclosure of a private meeting with A.G. Sulzberger of The New York Times. The piece outlines various terms used in journalism:  

    • "On the Record": Information that can be quoted and attributed directly to the source.

    • "Off the Record": Information that cannot be published, ideally agreed upon in advance to protect the source's privacy.

    • "Background": Information that can be used for publication but without direct attribution, often describing the source's role without naming them.

    • "Deep Background": Information used solely for the reporter's context, with no attribution allowed.

  • The author stresses the importance of clear communication about these terms to prevent misunderstandings, noting that politicians often attempt to manipulate these agreements. The article also illustrates these concepts with examples from the author's experiences, emphasizing the complexities and potential value of such discussions in journalism.


But her emails! How journalistic preferences shaped election coverage in 2016 - Kathleen Searles & Kevin K Banda

  • Overall, our results support the idea that journalistic decision-making is rational and exhibits preferences. Altogether, this understanding of journalistic decision-making moves beyond explaining the issues that make the agenda, to describing how the amount of coverage for valuable stories falls into consistent patterns with relevance for our politics. This not only helps us to better explain differences in media attention to types of stories but, as we show in this paper, there can be high-stakes consequences to ordering one type of story over another. Ultimately, incorporating journalistic preference into our portraitures of news coverage lends one additional way to observe who gets what, when, and how (Lasswell, 1966).

  • However, if we agree that the news media should help the public hold politicians accountable and that the public requires scandal coverage of both the front-runner and trailing candidate to make informed choices (Entman, 2012), it seems that journalistic preferences in 2016 – however rational – reflect a professional failure to deliver relevant information. While balancing professional miscarriages against commercial logic is unrealistic (McManus, 1994), at the very least our results suggest further scrutiny of the esoteric nature of journalistic routines is needed (Carlson, 2017).

Behold, the marticle (a primer on how to avoid only quoting men as sources) - Alexandra Bell & Kelsey Davenport

  • The piece highlights the alarming absence of women in media coverage on nuclear policy, coining the term "marticle" to describe articles featuring only male experts. Despite the presence of qualified women in the field, major outlets often overlook their contributions, leading to a skewed representation. The authors suggest that both journalists and male colleagues must actively work to include diverse voices, emphasizing that gender inclusivity enriches public discourse on critical issues like nuclear weapons. They call for collective efforts to challenge the status quo and amplify women's perspectives in media.

Bias against conservatives works like any other prejudice - Megan McArdle

  • The piece reflects on the outrage surrounding Kevin Williamson's hiring and firing from The Atlantic, using it as a lens to explore broader dynamics of bias in media. It suggests that while conservatives argue about media skew, they often overlook how systemic biases can create an unwelcoming environment for differing viewpoints, similar to the experiences of underrepresented minorities. The author encourages both sides to empathize with each other’s grievances—conservatives recognizing the discomfort of being in a liberal-dominated culture, and liberals understanding the exclusion felt by conservatives. Ultimately, it advocates for a collective effort to bridge divides rather than continue a cycle of mutual anger and exclusion, emphasizing that acknowledging and addressing biases can lead to a more inclusive and understanding society.

Women Journalists Face Escalating Violence Online. We Should Know - Maria Ressa and Julie Posetti

  • This piece highlights the alarming prevalence of online violence against female journalists, particularly in the context of a recent UNESCO report that reveals the severity and impact of such attacks. With three out of four female journalists experiencing online violence, the report underscores how digital misogyny intersects with other forms of discrimination, threatening not just the journalists themselves but also their families. Maria Ressa, a journalist facing severe harassment and legal challenges in the Philippines, exemplifies the dangers women in journalism encounter. The authors argue that current responses, like social media companies' ineffective measures, are inadequate, and call for legislative action to ensure accountability and protect women's rights to express themselves freely. They emphasize that without significant changes, the erosion of press freedom and democracy will continue.

The looming existential crisis for cable news - Paul Farhi

  • The article discusses the declining influence of cable news, illustrated by the tepid response to CNN's recent town hall with Donald Trump, which drew only 3.3 million viewers. This reflects broader trends, including a significant drop in cable subscriptions, from over 70% in 2016 to around 40% today. Analysts note that while cable news networks remain profitable due to licensing fees, they face challenges in adapting to streaming and attracting younger viewers. As the media landscape shifts towards niche content, experts predict that traditional cable news may struggle to maintain its previous economic success, leading to further fragmentation of audiences and potentially lower salaries for news anchors.

The Fairness Doctrine sounds a lot better than it actually was - Nicole Hemmer

  • Enter the Fairness Doctrine, a regulation in place from the late 1940s until 1987 that dictated balanced coverage of controversial issues on broadcast radio and television. The problem with this idea is that the Fairness Doctrine emerged in a time when the central concern was the scarcity of platforms; now, misinformation and disinformation flourish in an environment of abundance. - That part of the story matters as well, because it’s a reminder that even if the Fairness Doctrine were renewed, it could just as easily be used to spread right-wing propaganda further

A national network of local news sites is publishing AI-written articles under fake bylines. Experts are raising alarm- Hadas Gold

  • The way the site uses and discloses AI purposely tricks readers by “mimicking” the look and feel of a “standards-based local news organization with real journalists,” said Peter Adams, a senior vice president of the News Literacy Project, which aims to educate the public on identifying credible information. - That’s not to say there isn’t a place for AI in a newsroom. It can assist journalists in research and data processing and reduce costs in an industry struggling with tighter budgets. Some news organizations, like News Corp., are increasingly inking lucrative partnerships with AI developers like OpenAI to help bolster its large language models’ knowledge base.

  • The outlet, which is profitable, Chen said, plans to hire more human journalists as the company looks to evolve its current AI personas into “AI news anchors delivering stories in short-form videos.” The plan will make use of the fake bylines published on the site, eventually turning them into AI news readers, he said.

Newspapers are disappearing where democracy needs them most - Nancy Gibbs

  • Local news is the oxygen of democracy, the most trusted source for the most essential information, and we’ve long known why dying newsrooms damage communities. But look at the maps again, and another alarming picture comes into focus: The very places where local news is disappearing are often the same places that wield disproportionate political power.

  • The citizens whose votes count the most might have the hardest time learning about the issues and candidates running in their communities — because there’s no longer anyone reporting on them

  • All Americans need and deserve access to the information that enables good political choices — but that is disappearing fastest in places that need it most.