Slanted: Citizen Journalism with a Purpose

The main concern that comes to many people's minds when it comes to objectivity versus engagement in journalism is bias. With so many networks having political leanings and putting spin on stories, it can be difficult to differentiate between what are facts and what are opinions. However, the engagement of journalists in current events and the journalistic tendencies of activists around the world have added a new dimension to the field of news reporting that many find to be more genuine and relatable. Is this new trend threatening traditional reporting values? And should media engagement in what they are reporting be seen as a bias?

In order to better understand these concepts, let's take a look at up and coming news media outlet Slant. Slant was founded on the principal that the authors of articles are entitled to the revenue that their stories create, so Slant encourages anyone and everyone to write articles for them in exchange for compensation. The downside of this model is, of course, that anyone can write for a news source. While the editors of the site work diligently to prevent any particular bias from taking over the publications, there will always be an element of personal opinion in stories.

Examples of the type of bias present on Slant. Both articles are about the same issue, but to different ends:

I'm A Millennial, And I'm Not Feelin' The Bern

Let's Face It: Bernie Sanders Is More Electable Than Hillary Clinton


In these articles, readers are presented with different, personal points of view that, while revealing that the author does indeed have a bias, raises some points about both candidates that may not have been brought up if a news source was leading completely one way or the other. However, the consumption of these articles individually without context from the rest of the site may mislead readers as to the bias of Slant as a whole. Nevertheless, Slant's model is very new and will take time to sort itself out and prove whether or not its "anyone can write" format results in a more evenly spread bias in stories or end up turning Slant into a caricature of a news source.

Positives of objectivity:

• Objectivity ensures that the whole truth is told in a story
• An objective perspective tends to bolster credibility
• The absence of personal opinions leaves room for just the facts
• Avoids bias from media outlets

VS positives of engagement: 

• Provides readers with a potentially unique perspective on a topic
• Could provide inside information from the author's experiences
• Leaves room in stories for a message or call to action
• Can sometimes make stories more interesting