When White reporters cover race: News media, objectivity and community (dis)trust

Abstract

When White reporters cover issues involving race, they often fall back on traditional, passive practices of objectivity, such as deferring to official sources and remaining separate from communities. Using in-depth interviews and focus groups combined with textual analysis in a case study of one Midwestern city, we explore the ethical tensions between the commitment to neutrality and the need for trust building in communities. This essay suggests that the current practices by White reporters may be unethical and argues for an active objectivity focused on loyalty to all citizens. This statement about the clashing of ethics explores a middle ground for reporters in historically White-dominated communities caught between long-time norms and the demands of an increasingly diverse society.