The Biased Journalist - A Blogger?

Should journalists be able to discuss news pieces they have covered for a publication as biased and opinionated individuals within the safe confines of their blog?

I honestly feel as though I am completely torn on this subject. I want to shout about free speech and how people are entitled to their opinions, as I have in the past. But the truth of the matter is journalism works as a form of communication because it is supposed to convey information with no bias attached.

Though on the other hand the fact that the unbiased look is available at all makes me want to say that journalists should be allowed to express themselves as individuals in a blog. It’s a very tricky question.

Here is what I just came up with.

By a news organization requiring that its reporters have blogs, they are creating a forum for discussion. They are not only inviting, but requiring that their writers and reporters have a place to write what they feel and know. A blog is not just another place to report a story, but rather the beginning of a conversation. The real beauty of a blog is that it can be about anything, told from any perspective and then seen by whoever wants to read it. It seems contrary to everything a blog represents then to put gag orders on the people writing them.

I’m not going to cry censorship on such restrictions, because I can see why it is important to have the public see stories from an unbiased point of view, what if they read the blog before the piece? Then everything journalism represents has been compromised.

If an organization such as a newspaper or magazine or online medium wants to require their employees to maintain blogs then perhaps they should be encouraged to write outside their regular beat. Maybe the truly interesting thing is not hearing a hard core news reporter talking about the topics they cover daily but rather how they covered them or where their travels take them. A blog is interesting because it is a different take on something. I know I would love to hear about reporters’ experiences with the crazy stuff they run into along the path to a story.

I am of the opinion that all reporters and journalists should consider writing a blog, because it allows them to step away from the reporter’s notebook and the standards and the structure and get their voices heard as individuals. I would encourage anyone of any profession to start a blog at that. As to whether or not a journalist should write an opinion based blog regarding something they covered, well in response to that I have a question for them. What is the point of going to all the trouble of presenting people with unbiased information just to turn around and take away from that? Let the article come out, take a week or so to let people see it and then publish your own opinions in a blog if you feel so motivated.

I think as journalists we should respect our jobs enough to check our opinions for a while and let people draw their own conclusions – however as a journalist I also believe that everyone has the right to free speech. In this situation the journalist should not be forced to keep their own opinions quiet, but rather they should understand that while they are individuals with thoughts and opinions of their own, and while that does come first in life, a close second is the fact that they are journalists and have taken an active interest in communicating the unbiased truth to an audience.

What can I say...every once in a while I'm serious :)