Activism vs. Journalism

For the past several months I’ve been trying to understand the difference between activism and journalism, or rather, if there even is a difference that exists. It’s a question that has been in debate for years, sparking conversation between people who think there is a definite difference, people who think the terms are interchangeable, and people who aren’t sure or think journalism is some form or subset of activism.

First, let’s define the terms being debated:
Journalism: the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media; writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation
Activism: a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

Obviously, we know that by definition, the terms are not the same. But semantics aside, journalism and activism have a lot in common. A core element of journalism is to uplift voices that are being silenced or hold people in positions of power accountable. In theory, those practices are forms of activism — journalists can, should, and often do discuss controversial issues and fight for action or accountability from people upholding systems that don’t serve the community.

Arguing that journalism can be a form of activism, Tom Fiedler of Boston University said, “You can have a journalistic voice that very much promotes a cause. Crusades have been the heart of journalism for more than 100 years; a newspaper will decide or a news organization will decide that we have terribly mistreated these people, and we’re going to do stories about it. That’s good journalism.” I agree with Fiedler, but I also think we have to be careful here. In my very small, entirely self-taught knowledge of journalism, journalism that “promotes a cause” is acceptable, but must be made neutral with discussion of the views, voices, or actions that oppose that cause.

In Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel’s book The Elements of Journalism, a situation where journalism was separated from activism was outlined: “In 1989, New York Times Supreme Court reporter Linda Greenhouse was criticized for participating in a ‘Freedom of Choice’ demonstration in support of abortion rights. She called her participation anonymous activism and made note of the fact that she did not call attention to herself. ‘I was just another woman in blue jeans and a down jacket,’ she said afterward. But the Times said her marching jeopardized the appearance of her reporting and reprimanded her.”

The problem with Greenhouse’s action of participating in the demonstration is that as a Supreme Court reporter, her activism conflicts with her journalism. The first “rule” of journalism is that a journalist’s first obligation is to the truth; forming accurate facts in the correct context after following a process of verification is a key practice and principle. In some way, I could understand if readers of Greenhouse’s work began to distrust her journalism after seeing her participate in the pro-choice demonstration — if she were to write about a Supreme Court case relating to abortion, readers may not be able to decide if she is being fully transparent and acknowledging of both sides.

But the issue is this: Greenhouse being pro-choice was always there; if she hadn’t shown it she still would be writing with that bias, like anyone would, because humans can’t simply avoid or eliminate their bias whenever they want to. So in a way, maybe it doesn’t matter that Greenhouse showed her support for abortion rights. But it’s also understandable why the Times reprimanded her, because as Kovach and Rosenstiel persuasively argue, “it is vital to maintain some personal distance in order to see things clearly and make independent judgments” when working as a journalist.

So you can see this debate doesn’t seem to have an answer. Although I do think I am in the boat of believing that journalism is a form or subset of activism, it’s still a philosophy I contemplate often, and I’m sure I’ll be writing about this again in the future as I learn more. As Kovach and Rosenstiel describe, “journalism is a form of participation — but one that demands commitment to accuracy and is distinct from other types of activism.”

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