Journalistic Narrative, Objectivity and Truth

Abstract

Studies on journalistic objectivity usually focus on the content of a news report to gauge the fairness quotient. However, the way a news report is structured thereby privileging a person, the source or event over others can be an equally interesting way of looking at the objectivity debate. Through a close textual analysis of reports considering the death of a militant belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in four major newspapers published in Assam, this article tries to find inherent biases that are apparent in objectively-constructed journalistic narratives. A comparative reading of the reports make it clear that however hard, one tries to provide a balanced, objective narrative by weaving together different strands and voices, one cannot ensure the presentation of a holistic truth of an event, where accountability is distributed equally to the participating actors.