Whatever Happened to Journalism?

The recent election season made me ask myself: Whatever happened to journalism?!?!?

As I’m imagining it, there is a whole slew of professors in UNC’s School of Journalism & Mass Communication raising their fists to the sky, screaming, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” When I was in the J-School, journalists were supposed to be non-partisan, non-biased individuals. The news was supposed to be just that – news. “Just the facts, ma’am” as it were. They were not to grimace when interviewing a politician with whom you did not agree. They were not to grill a democrat harder than a republican, or vice versa.

The “journalists” I saw during election coverage, and pretty much every day, if we’re honest, did not hold to the “just the facts” standard. They acted blatantly disappointed when Republicans won on certain news shows. Other stations all but physically attack Democrats on a regular basis. (Yes, Fox News, I’m looking at you.) Lest I be accused of showing bias as well (though this is MY blog, not a news outlet), MSNBC is just as guilty as Fox News, just at the other end of the political spectrum.

I’m not saying anyone’s perfect. I completely understand journalists losing their composure at certain points. Like Walter Kronkite announcing the death of President Kennedy. Or Soledad O’Brien on the day David Bloom’s passing was announced. But journalists showing their emotions, biases, etc. should be the exception, not the rule.

So journalists out there, especially those of you on tv…Stop embarrassing the rest of us that still try to uphold the profession. If you want to voice your opinions, get a freaking talk show and stop presenting your views as “news” or “the truth.” Step aside and let those of us who understand what journalism really is do it.