Objectivity has long been contentious in American journalism. Many practitioners call it essential to a news organization's credibility. Critics, however, hold objectivity is impossible and urge reporters simply to reveal their biases. For educators, teaching objectivity is challenging. Some, seeking a middle ground, instead urge fairness and…

An analysis of the election stories about presidential candidates that appeared in three major news magazines during the 1976 presidential campaign reveals that coverage of Eugene McCarthy's candidacy was unbiased but meager. (GT)

Reports that (1) the length and number of news items about aging and the aged in 10 metropolitan newspapers were disproportionate to the proportion of aged persons in the population, and (2) the tone of such newspaper stories was positive or neutral. (GT)

A content analysis of newspapers in 11 Texas cities between 1975 and 1977 suggests that only editorial page coverage favored mayoral candidates endorsed by the newspapers and that all serious candidates had an equal chance of receiving fair campaign coverage in their respective city newspapers. (GT)

The objective reporting of news is discussed in this paper as a moral obligation for professional journalists. Russian journalists' disparagement of objectivity is described briefly, and three basic assumptions to which journalists in the United States should subscribe are listed: (1) there is such a thing as objective reality, (2) that reality…

A study examined newspaper coverage of the United States' withdrawal from Unesco to determine whether the public was given a balanced picture of the issues involved and to examine the degree of impartiality of the coverage of one specific issue, the New World Information Order. The study analyzed reports that appeared in American daily newspapers…

To determine whether journalists withhold mobilizing information (any information that allows people to act on the attitudes and desires they already have), 56 professional journalists were asked to edit a nine-paragraph story about a wave of beetles that supposedly threatened large stands of timber. There were two versions of this story: the…

Professional journalists need to be encouraged in their quest for objectivity if the news media are to be saved from degenerating into political journals and propaganda organs. Sociologist Karl Mannheim's theory of relationalism could be the basis for an improved approach to journalistic practice and should be required reading for journalism…

Content analysis was employed in an examination of nine major metropolitan daily newspapers to determine how they portrayed both black and white members of the United States House of Representatives from l979 to l983. Specifically, the study examined the amount of coverage given to a sample of 16 black and 16 white representatives, the way…

Behavioral research suggests that communication between two individuals is affected by such factors as their orientation toward a topic, the importance of the topic, and interpersonal attraction. Seven hypotheses were formulated to determine if these factors--originally discovered in a discussion setting--were operative in an information-seeking…

An analysis of the content of "The New York Times" and "The Chicago Tribune" with regard to two issues involving executive vs congressional power indicates the extent to which dominant political values bias newspaper coverage. (GT)

A four-month investigation was conducted of media coverage of two controversies involving government officials in Detroit, Michigan. Data were gathered from three sources: journalists involved in covering the stories, people involved in the stories, and the printed stories. Using public documents, the history of one of the controversies was…

It is difficult for newspaper editors and reporters to maintain journalistic objectivity when covering a city's urban structure and development because of their traditional civic involvement and because of a civic ideology shared with urban experts and chamber of commerce boosters. News values and editorial policy are often implicit varieties of…

This paper presents a conceptual analysis of bias and outlines the complexity and subtlety of the questions engulfing bias by sorting out views of bias that have been implicit in debates about the media, assessing the scientific value of these competing views in identifying and understanding bias in the media, offering an alternative view which is…

A guide to news media, this book describes how to tell when a report is biased; provides tips on spotting hoaxes and public relations ploys in the news; gives standards to judge expert opinion and reliable sources; lists critics and other sources of help for the news consumer; discusses the endless contest among politicians, newsmen, and…