BBC World News has been running a commercial for their coverage of the U.S. election. In it they're trying to showcase their impartiality, listing off the things they won't tell you, like "who to vote for" or "what to think." I can get behind that, but what really stands out is that two of the most prominent things they promise not to tell you is "who's right," and "who's wrong." To that, I must ask, isn't telling us what's right the whole purpose of journalism?
Of course, this philosophy is hardly unique: it's obvious that this is the policy of most news organizations now: report the claims of both sides without comment. Actually mentioning which side is lying and which is telling the truth is considered bias. It's been this way for a while, but in an election campaign in which we've seen some of the most brazen lying in living memory, the noncritical reporting strategy is lookin sillier all the time.
So the ad's promise is not a foreign concept, but I don't think I've ever seen a news organization state it so boldly. If you hang on to the old ideas that journalism is supposed to be about finding the truth, it's pathetic to see a reputable news outlet promising not to bother you with reality.
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