Objectively Speaking

by Chris Bodenner
Reacting to news that AP Washington bureau chief Ron Fournier considered taking 'a senior advisory role' with the McCain campaign in 2006, TAP's Adam Serwer wrote:

The point is -- none of this should have mattered. Having political beliefs or sympathies shouldn't affect the way a journalist does their job, and this article wouldn't even have been written if the AP didn't have reporters writing stuff like this. Some might see this as just another example of why 'objectivity' in journalism is a myth, but for some reason, that's an argument I find a great deal more compelling with a network or a newspaper. There's something disconcerting about bias in wire services, since many papers may rely on them entirely for their national affairs or international coverage. There's also something bizarre about Fournier's brand of 'accountability journalism', which aims to be opinionated but essentially relies on the credibility of the AP's past, non-opinionated work for any sense of authority, the reputation of wire reporters as 'straight-shooters'. In other words, the appeal of AP reporters giving their opinions is premised on the myth that wire reporters can't possibly have strong ideological opinions.

(H/T Blogometer)