while reporting

one of the more sensitive lines drawn at my workplace in regards to blogs are when journalists who have never expressed opinions in their work suddenly find themselves blogging. some think that blogging means injecting opinion into the story. while that is sometimes the case, its not always the case.

some bloggers think that they are fooling their readers when they let the subject that they present carry their water for them. the blogger will only link to stories that support their agenda, for example, or only blog about things that fit their theories.

in the example above a reporter for a site ive never heard of, but now will return to, is asked by one of her subjects what her opinion is regarding the anniversary of MLKs death. whereas many journalists would normally shy away from such a question by saying, this isnt about me, this is about you, the young lady who is now my new girlfriend, answers the question more eloquently and directly than any of her interviewees.

im not saying that journalists should seek out ways to pose their two cents, but when they have a chance to quit pretending that theyre not human, they shouldnt be afraid to just answer the damn question, because everyone has a point of view and its not always terrible (in my opinion) to express it – especially when called out.