I recently read this blog post about the dialogue surrounding transparent and objective journalism. The author's view is that, given that bias is unavoidable, transparency of point of view is a superior mode of operation.
I'm not entirely certain that there is no such thing as bias. Listing off voting records something like VoteSmart may be unbiased, but then, perhaps this isn't journalism. Maybe it is data entry, which by itself can be partisan.
In any case, I descry a desperate need for transparency in journalism today. I think every piece, whether it is an opinion piece or not should come with some form of ideological disclaimer. That said, to strive for objectivity is critical. As much as I am enamored by the move towards transparency, in no way should this replace the drive to be objective.
There must be a place in the middle wherein journalists strive towards objectivity, a virtually unreachable goal, but always accepts its failures. I would go so far as to say that anything less than this is dishonest.
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