I think as a journalist being neutral is the key to successful writing. People don’t care what you have to say, they care about having the facts presented to them in a fair way that makes them understandable.
This is a challenging task in Belfast.
As an outsider I feel I have no right to preach about what should or shouldn’t be done about the troubles. I don’t belong here, I have no connections and I didn’t experience it first hand. No one should be subjected to listening to my naive preachings. So, coming in with that mind set I think it is a necessity to present the facts as neutrally as possible and say things as they are, no matter how subjective the material may be.
Professional journalism is much different than blogging however. If your audience consciously knows that you are sharing the news with your own spin on it then by all means, spin away. Just make sure people know what they are getting into before you force your opinion on them.
I think there is a benefit to not being on either side of a problem – or perhaps better, to not be comming from an experience of one side of it. I think in our own minds we take sides, have opinions – but being an outsider means I don’t have to be invested in holding on to those ideas so vehemently that I can’t see through to the other point of view. I think my opinions naturally gravitate me toward finding stories that fit into my world view but I think it is my responsibility to actively seek out the things that are not the natural fit – and somewhere in that process find objectivity – or at least as close to it as I can get.