Inuyasha wrote:
@ Philologos
I have to disagree with you as long as Journalists are honest about their political leanings and when they give their opinion they make it clear it is their opinion, then I don't have a problem with them having a political leaning. There is an issue when news agencies try to paint their opinions as facts and try to act like they are 100% objective when they really aren't.
Politics in the editorial, fine. Politics in the headlines and the "all the news that is fit to print", no.
On the pretense of objectivity among journalists, and academics, and certain others, I of course heartily agree.
One - a human - has viewpoints and opinions. This is inevitable. One - a human - has an obligation to recognize this and to be scrupulously even handed where only fairness is appropriate.
I once was fired [long story] so that two colleagues could fight over which man's wife would get my position. This is bias where no bias should be.
I never took a course from my father - in order to prove he had no nepotistic inclinations he would have failed me. This is inverted bias where no bias should be.
I always strove to evaluate each student's work on its internal merits, whatever I thought [and I did] of the student or his topic or his theoretical stance. If Chomsky himself handed me a paper with internally consistent reasoning and appropriate use of the evidence adduced written clearly in English or any of several other languages I would give him an A.
I don't know if he would do as much for me.