An Objective Truth

Objectivity: it's a mythical ideal, a sort of journalistic holy grail. To be a part of a completely neutral news force, writing and reporting articles miraculously free of bias of any kind, would be a lot like riding a unicorn- awesome, a harbinger of a  perfect world, and completely unrealistic. 

Unfortunately, not going to happen.

That doesn't mean that it's not worth striving for. Obviously, journalistic objectivity is the gold standard that every reporter should strive for. But seeing as absolute objectivity (and unicorns) don't exist, an actual standard is needed. The true definition of objectivity, then, is being able to both acknowledge and work aside bias for the sake of accurate reporting. It means recognizing that completely nonpartisan reporting is both unachievable but still worth shooting for.

Doing the impossible is just another day on the job.

This helps put a framework for how a journalist needs to function. There are lines that reporters shouldn't cross, and those that they should. The truth needs to established through dedicated reporting, fact checking, and commitment to a higher ideal. That being said, failures will be made as journalistic integrity is jettisoned in some circumstances. But the foundation of ethical journalism will create a framework that allows journalism to flourish while being held accountable by other news organizations. It's a tricky balance to achieve, but it's imperative to try. A journalistic holy grail is worth an attempt at least.

Another interesting perspective on objectivity in journalism: http://www.opendemocracy.net/media-journalismwar/article_1218.jsp