Objectivity is a Myth

So - what went wrong yesterday: the Coast Guard conducting a training exercise on 9/11 or CNN reporting a "suspicious" incident in restricted waters near the Pentagon and between the bridges that POTUS was traveling? Bridges that carry traffic in and out of our nation's Capital.

Did the Coast Guard really think that such a training exercise would go unnoticed on 9/11? On 9/11, when we are all holding our breath, hoping there are no "crazies" out there looking to stick holes in our security. Couldn't the "daily training exercise" be held in another location less conspicuous?

Did CNN react too quickly? Were they wrong to report what they heard and what they saw? I believe they were in a "catch-22". Had they not reported the situation, and had the event been an attempt to breach security, and had the bridges been damaged and lives lost - would we not have looked to them as "failing" to provide the citizenry with needed information? Let's face it, we always look to someone to blame; whether or not, blame is appropriate.

I believe the editors found themselves in a moral quandary. In their attempt to maintain objectivity, they reasoned that the event was questionable and deemed a warning of caution to those in the area. They continually advised that the event was not verified and they were seeking to validate the transmission.

"Objectivity is a myth"; so I was told by a journalism professor in my first incarnation as a student. And, as any philosophy student learns, "perceptions are fact."

As human beings, our realities are shaped by our experiences, our knowledge and our exposure to the world around us. In our attempt to be "objective" we draw on our value system and beliefs. Can I be objective on a jury trying a home invasion when I have been a victim of the same? As a reporter I choose the "facts" to relate in my observations of the story. I prioritize those facts and present what is "most important" as I believe them to be. That is the rub between writers and editors - our perceptions of objectivity are different - subjectively determined.

What is the truth to the story around Joe Wilson's outburst during the Obama speech to Congress on healthcare? He was wrong to shout out "you lie"; it is rude, disrespectful and untrue. Others believe he was right to call the President on a "misrepresentation" of the facts of the bill. The bill does not provide coverage for illegal aliens; but the bill does not provide for enforcement to prevent coverage for illegal aliens. Who is right?

The search for truth is stressful. Logic can confuse us. People do not always respond and react logically. We are told to maintain objectivity when we can not remove ourselves from our own experiences coloring a situation.

Jack Nicholson was right, "we can't handle the truth."