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2016 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

3. Objectivity and Constraints in War Reporting

Author : Shixin Ivy Zhang

Published in: Chinese War Correspondents

Publisher: Springer Singapore

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the meso-organizational level and examines Chinese journalists’ reflections on objectivity and constraints in war zones. The author adopts the term Chinese-style pragmatic objectivity to mean that objectivity is a convenient approach for Chinese journalists to do war journalism in the field. At the level of objectivity-as-a-value, objectivity is defined as a pragmatic value and a practical ritual for Chinese journalists to do news within the scope they can reach and to justify their version of the truth. It promotes allegiance and patriotism. At the level of objectivity-as-a-practice, objectivity in war coverage is compromised by China’s foreign policies, military constraints, the press’s political orientations and editorial polices, and journalists’ personal experiences and values.

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Title: Objectivity and Constraints in War Reporting
Author: Shixin Ivy Zhang
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Book: Chinese War Correspondents
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-1737-7

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-10-1738-4

Copyright Year: 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1738-4_3