After touring the BBC and listening to a few of the reporters and editors talk about the stories they covered over the years, I envy their experience but don’t envy the difficulty they faced working to appease every side of the Troubles.

Being a new member to the world of journalism, I am learning all about how to stay unbiased and how careful you have to be with your wording. I believe objectivity is an unattainable idea. I believe this because words and communication in general are so arbitrary. How you write and the words you choose to use may seem objective to you, but could mean something entirely different to someone else. Words have the power to evoke a plethora of emotions that range widely from person to person. How do you please every single one of them?

I think the best way to aim is to catch as many different viewpoints as possible. Bias can be monitored but there is always going to be someone who doesn’t feel you achieved that goal.

When it comes to writing from a non-objective view, I say more power to ya! You have to have some major cojones! If you choose to take this route, you better be prepared for the blowback and the opposition that is a guarantee.

I think its important to voice whatever opinion you may have, but its equally if not more important to do it kindly and with respect. This to me is the most difficult aspect because with opinions come the emotions that drive them. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of them.

 

  Opposition is the gasoline of life.