IHSPA Insider
September 2025
The student journalist’s guide to objectivity
By Andrew Biller, IHSPA At-Large Executive Board Member
Objectivity can be an elusive goal for journalists. It can be likened to infinity for a mathematician, or the speed of light for a physicist; objectivity is the upper bound of honesty and integrity that every journalist should strive for, but may never meet.
Unfortunately, when it comes to teaching objectivity in the classroom in 2025, nonexamples seem much more abundant than examples from positive role models. It can be exhausting trying to teach students how to be impartial when nationally recognized anchors and reporters carelessly flout without consequence the rules we teach. Furthermore, the increasing polarization of the news media landscape has eroded public trust in the media and perception of journalists. For this reason, student journalists must understand that they will have an uphill battle when it comes to the public’s opinion of them. The following tips can help students engender trust and demonstrate professional tact when conducting journalism in public:
- Wear your job - Clearly identify yourself as a journalist. Always wear press credentials and clothing emblazoned with “PRESS”. Never try to hide the fact that you are a journalist in order to gather information. Dress comfortably, but professionally. Cover or remove anything that might cause a crowd to make inferences about your beliefs (tattoos, patches, pins, etc.).
- Keep your distance - Don’t become part of the crowd. When reporting on sporting events, don’t clap or cheer for teams or individual athletes. When photographing or recording public events, get close enough to get the shot but maintain enough separation to avoid interfering with the activities of volunteers, staff, participants or first responders.
- Don’t become the story - Don’t get into arguments in public. If someone confronts you, leave the area peacefully and try a different method of obtaining the necessary information. Everyone around is carrying a video camera in their pocket, and you run the risk of becoming wrapped up in the story you are trying to tell. Causing a scene is not worth risking your credibility, let alone your safety.
- Curate your digital footprint - Clean up your social media. While controlling the entirety of your digital footprint is impossible (Google yourself), you can get a handle on information that could put your credibility at risk in the future. Hide old posts and delete potentially controversial opinions.
- Remember your ethics - One of the pillars of the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics is to do no harm. Even though your camera records reality, how you use it is important when creating an objective and ethical news story. Avoid photographing or recording people in vulnerable situations, such as homeless or injured people, unless it is absolutely necessary to tell the story.
- No sneak peeks - Always keep interview questions close to the chest. Revealing questions to sources before they are written can spoil an interview by forcing inauthentic answers, but it can also be a ticket to losing trust with audiences who expect journalists to hold sources accountable.
Because of the types of journalism that the average American sees on a daily basis, people may assume that a journalist must either be “for them” or “against them”. This can understandably make people wary or hostile of reporters and photojournalists in general. By following these rules, student journalists can begin practicing objectivity in the field even before they enter the workforce.
If you have an idea for a blog on a journalistic topic, lesson, or experience you'd like to write about, would love to have you as a guest author one month. Submit your blog proposal here, and we will be in touch.
Possible Journalism Courses Resources
- IDOE 2025-2026: High School Course Companion Document - This document breakdowns who can take a course and what diploma credits each course counts for.
- English/Journalism Standards Correlation
- Columbus North High School Course Catalog (pgs. 55-57)
- Hamilton Southeastern High School Course Catalog (pgs. 66-69)
- Lake Central High School Course Catalog (pgs. 58-60)
- Southport High School Course Catalog (pgs. 15-21)
Rowena Harvey Awards Deadline Extended
The deadline for the Harvey Awards has been extended to Oct. 15, 2025. Make sure to submit your staff's best journalism from the 2024-2025 school year. Winners will be announced at the Jan. 20, 2026 IHSPA State Convention. Check out the links below for information about the awards.
- About the Rowena Harvey Awards
- Contest Instructions and Categories
- Better BNC Website for Submitting Awards
- IHSPA Invoice for Submitting Payment
We want to highlight and share great journalism resources in our monthly newsletters. Use this form to suggest lessons, curriculum, classroom ideas, places to find resources, etc. in a future newsletter. Basically, please share anything you think would help your fellow advisors.
School Spotlight: Anderson High School
Adviser: Andrew Biller
Anderson High School's program consists of the Anderson Student News website along with the a daily announcement show, the Daily TribeCast. Check out some of their great work below!
Submit the best of your student's work here. Every month we'd like to highlight great journalism from IHSPA journalists. We'd like to high light a variety of journalism, including print, yearbook, broadcast, writing, photojournalism, podcasts, etc. So, keep submitting your student's work throughout the year!
