Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch a man die. I did not take it.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
It isn't a secret that I am an opinionated person. From the "War on Terror" to abortion to the Trans-Texas Corridor, I have an opinion. I'll gladly share those opinions with my friends if they ask me for them, and I even sometimes give them without prompting because I need to vent.
Journalists are allowed to have opinions. If they weren't, nobody could be a journalist. Everybody knows this. The trick to being a journalist, then, is not sharing that opinion with the "public." Once one's opinion is known, claims of bias suddenly are given weight. The written words in a story might not change, but the perception and interpretation of those words might. This is why I try not to share my opinions at the office or with people who I interact with professionally.
Even when a journalist has a strong opinion on a subject, he or she should be able to write about it as objectively as possible. In the past, I've written stories about people who I thought were idiotically wasting everybody's time and energy, but a reader would not be able to tell that by what I wrote. I could write about a drunk driver's arrest or conviction without revealing my opinion. I can write about a school bond election without sharing what I think.
I also believe every journalist should know his or her limitations.
I have a very strong opinion about the death penalty. I do not have a problem writing about the penalty as a possible punishment or as the sentence of a trial. At this point, it's an abstract idea. It might happen, but it might not.
I do have a problem, however, with attending and writing about an execution. I am afraid I would unintentionally reveal bias in the story. Therefore, at this point in my career, I believe it would be irresponsible of me to take on such a story. Thus, I declined the chance to attend.
What do you think?
Posted by Randy at October 1, 2007 10:53 PM | TrackBackI have to say Randy, your words are quite profound. I'm glad to hear that you know your boundries, and that you know when to say "no". I'd like to chime in with some beautiful insight here myself, but sadly I can conjure none.
Posted by: Andy E. at October 8, 2007 07:21 PMIn some ways life can be defined as a struggle against death. I've never witnessed the moment of somebody's death. Unless you count my imagination which is probably more developed from what I read in books and see in movies. In my opinion, witnessing a death is not something I honestly want to experience . But maybe I'm wrong, maybe there is something to be gained by facing a reality I try to avoid. I wonder if I were to stare into the very eyes of death, if I might somehow gain a better understanding as to what life is about. In my sheltered little world, life seems to be more of a dream than a reality. I wonder if that might just be enough to alter my perception forever.
Posted by: Codepainter at October 10, 2007 05:24 PM