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Title details for The View from Somewhere: Undoing the Myth of Journalistic Objectivity by Lewis Raven Wallace - Available

The View from Somewhere: Undoing the Myth of Journalistic Objectivity

by Lewis Raven Wallace
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A look at the history of the idea of the objective journalist and how this very ideal can often be used to undercut itself.

In The View from Somewhere, Lewis Raven Wallace dives deep into the history of "objectivity" in journalism and how its been used to gatekeep and silence marginalized writers as far back as Ida B. Wells. At its core, this is a book about fierce journalists who have pursued truth and transparency and sometimes been punished for it—not just by tyrannical governments but by journalistic institutions themselves. He highlights the stories of journalists who question "objectivity" with sensitivity and passion: Desmond Cole of the Toronto Star; New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse; Pulitzer Prize-winner Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah; Peabody-winning podcaster John Biewen; Guardian correspondent Gary Younge; former Buzzfeed reporter Meredith Talusan; and many others. Wallace also shares his own experiences as a midwestern transgender journalist and activist who was fired from his job as a national reporter for public radio for speaking out against "objectivity" in coverage of Trump and white supremacy.

With insightful steps through history, Wallace stresses that journalists have never been mere passive observers. Using historical and contemporary examples—from lynching in the nineteenth century to transgender issues in the twenty-first—Wallace offers a definitive critique of "objectivity" as a catchall for accurate journalism. He calls for the dismissal of this damaging mythology in order to confront the realities of institutional power, racism, and other forms of oppression and exploitation in the news industry.

The View from Somewhere is a compelling rallying cry against journalist neutrality and for the validity of news told from distinctly subjective voices.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 31, 2019

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780226667430

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780226667430
      • File size: 415 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      September 15, 2019
      An examination of a significant, contentious issue in the field of journalism. Soon after Wallace decided on a career in journalism after college, he began to question the wisdom of traditional journalistic "objectivity." When he lost a job in public radio due to his open questioning of the objectivity paradigm, he conducted a deep inquiry into the history and validity of objectivity in the field. Wallace acknowledges that some of his questioning stems from his personal identity as a transgender individual. Even though the author's public radio employer desired newsroom diversity, he still got fired. It's important to note that by questioning objectivity, Wallace is not abandoning the goal of factual accuracy and context. Rather, the author maintains that objectivity is often the ideology of the status quo and that journalists should sometimes feel free to openly question the status quo. As examples, Wallace mentions reporting beyond the official police versions of fatal shootings, government versions of wars waged against enemies abroad, and common depictions of gay and transgender lives. The author's historical research led him to boundary-busting nonobjective journalists, including Ida B. Wells, Heywood Broun, Randy Shilts, Linda Greenhouse, David Brock, Masha Gessen, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, and Gary Younge. Because he focuses primarily on journalists who might be labeled renegades, Wallace also addresses the possibility of confirmation bias regarding his arguments. The author delves into the thicket of angry, often misleading rhetoric spread by Rush Limbaugh's radio show, Fox TV personalities, and other similar outlets. Wallace is rarely preachy in his arguments; his case comes across as nuanced and subtle. How, for example, would traditional objectivity play out in a journalistic account of climate change? Is there really another "side" to tell responsibly? The author hopes for an eventual journalism of collaboration with the voiceless rather than a process of simply extracting information from them as exploited sources. A compelling addition to the ongoing conversation on journalism and how it is practiced and consumed.

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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