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

TL;DR

Marty Baron argues for recommitting to journalistic objectivity amid calls from younger journalists to abandon it.
Objectivity means impartial fact-finding and reporting truth without false balance or both-sidesism when evidence is clear.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)[[2]](https://dankennedy.net/2023/03/28/marty-baron-takes-on-objectivity-and-gets-the-nuances-exactly-right)
Preserving objectivity builds public trust and counters political tribalism, rather than eroding journalism's role as fact arbiter.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)

The story at a glance

Former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron defends objectivity in an op-ed adapted from his March 16, 2023, keynote speech at Brandeis University during the Richman Fellowship. He pushes back against growing criticism in journalism that objectivity enables bias or false equivalence. The piece responds to industry debates on trust and standards, heightened by events like Trump's presidency and misinformation, though Baron focuses on principle over specific cases.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)[[3]](https://www.brandeis.edu/journalism/events/featured.html)

Key points

Objectivity, rooted in Walter Lippmann's ideas from about 100 years ago, calls for impartial fact investigation, context, scientific rigor, generous listening, and awareness of personal biases.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)
Critics, especially younger journalists, see objectivity as flawed and blame it for industry failures like errors from haste, neglect, prejudice, or arrogance.
Baron counters that failures come from not upholding the principle, not the principle itself; the fix is stricter adherence, not abandonment.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)
Objectivity is not neutrality, on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand reporting, false balance, both-sidesism, or equal weight to arguments when evidence favors one side.[[4]](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/24/journalism-objectivity-trump-misinformation-marty-baron)[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)
Dropping objectivity would make journalists look like partisans, fuel political tribalism, and destroy public trust in media as fact arbiters.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)
Journalism should start open-minded, ask right questions, verify rigorously, and report facts boldly without cowardice.[[2]](https://dankennedy.net/2023/03/28/marty-baron-takes-on-objectivity-and-gets-the-nuances-exactly-right)

Details and context

Baron draws on his experience leading the Boston Globe's Pulitzer-winning abuse investigation (basis for Spotlight) and the Washington Post through high-stakes coverage, where sticking to facts built credibility despite pressures.[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)

The op-ed enters a debate sparked by pieces like Leonard Downie Jr.'s call to move beyond objectivity for trust via diversity; Baron sees that as arrogance toward public expectations for fairness.[[5]](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/06/build-trust-objective-journalism)

Objectivity emerged post-World War I to fight propaganda, aligning journalism with professions like judging or medicine that prioritize evidence over opinion.

In Trump's misinformation era, Baron implies rigorous standards matter more, though he avoids naming it directly here—his book Collision of Power covers that tenure.

Key quotes

"Objectivity has to stay. Our profession will suffer horribly in public trust if it does not. We will find ourselves contributing to political tribalism instead of helping to conquer it."[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)

"Objectivity is not neutrality. It is not, on the one hand, on the other hand journalism. It is not false balance or both sidesism."[[1]](https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2023/march/martin-baron-richman-fellowship-presentation.html)

Why it matters

Objectivity underpins journalism's role as democracy's watchdog, separating facts from spin in polarized times.

For readers, it means reliable information to make informed choices, without media seen as just another partisan voice.

Watch how newsrooms respond: stricter standards could rebuild trust, but ongoing debates may push more toward opinion-driven coverage.[[4]](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/24/journalism-objectivity-trump-misinformation-marty-baron)