Journalism is dead

Written By: Sydnie Mills

This has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with emotion.

As a journalist, the first rule you’re taught is to “seek truth and report it.”

Just as a doctor takes an oath to do no harm, we as journalist have taken a similar oath. When did it become OK to take sides in a news story?

When did it become OK to pass a judgement in a news story?

I don’t care if a journalist or columnist has taken a stance in an opinion piece, that’s not where my frustration lies. The problem is that, online especially, the line between news and opinion stories have become blurred.

Despite our beliefs, we as journalists chose to report the facts.

We chose to act independently.

We chose fairness.

We chose to provide all sides to the story.

We chose transparency.

It is our job to fight for all of those elements, but it is also our job not to mislead. It is our job to write the rough draft of history, not an account of our feelings.

Granted, the public also has a duty to ensure that they don’t remain in their own filter bubbles. It’s very common in today’s climate to hear people say that they only get their news from one or two sources that lean into their beliefs favor. It's essential for the public to take in facts from all sides and develop their own opinion about what’s going on.

If everyone only wanted to hear what made them feel good, then nothing would move forward.

We have to do better.

We have to want better.

But most importantly, we have to want more.

I often wonder 100 years from now, when people look back at today’s journalism, what they will they say.