Tournament: NSDA Nebraska South District Quals | Round: 1 | Opponent: Hastings KE | Judge: Emily Marvin
I Negate Resolved: In a democracy, a free press ought to prioritize objectivity over advocacy.
Observation:
The AFF’s burden is to prove that the objective methodology should be favored over the advocative methodology.
Objectivity in journalism refers to a methodology of reporting facts in a way that is bias free, precise, and consistent.
American Press Institute 22
(American Press Institute, a nonprofit committed to educating on journalism and preserving the craft, “The Lost Meaning of Objectivity in Journalism” 2022. https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/bias-objectivity/lost-meaning-objectivity/)This definition should be favored for these reasons:
- Agent Specificity: This definition is built out of journalistic practices, and the resolution refers specifically to journalism with a “free press.”
2. Ground: Gives more equitable ground as debate just has to defend methodology, not that specific reporters are objective.
This brings us to advocacy journalism
Cáceres 19
(Ingrid Bahman Cáceres, School of Communication Pontificia Catholic University of Chile, “Advocacy Journalism” 6/25/19. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.776)
So the definition of advocacy in this round is a genre of journalism that combines informative reporting with a point of view.
This definition should be favored for these reasons
Ground - Ground for the NEG, because the NEG can still advocate for informative pieces, so NEG doesn’t have to defend articles only consisting of lies. This delinks the the NEG from propaganda arguments.
Actor Specificity - Born out of journalistic practices, as seen with card. Thus, specific to the resolution, and should be favored over.
Single Standard: Minimizing Oppression
First, we can’t assume the world is perfect when deciding on our moral frameworks. Instead, we need to take inequalities into account.
Mills 05
(Charles W. Mills is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at The Graduate Center, CUNY. “‘Ideal Theory’ as Ideology.” Source: Hypatia , Summer, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Summer, 2005), pp. 165-184 Published by: Wiley on behalf of Hypatia, Inc. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3811121.)
Second, the debate cannot just exclude those harmed by oppression.
Alston and Timmons 14
(Jonathan Alston, Head Debate Coach at Newark’s Science Park High School, and Aaron Timmons, Head Coach at the Greenhill School. “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See (And In National Circuit Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Does Anyone Really Care?” April 2014, VBriefly.)
Contention 1: Objectivity is Oppressive
Many objective stories employ a neutral voice as that helps the journalist ensure their bias doesn’t leak into the story. However, this neutral reporting is problematic because it harms trans reporters heavily.
Li 20
(Sara Li, journalist, “Journalistic Objectivity Isn’t Realistic, Young Reporters Say” 3/6/20. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/objectivity-neutrality-not-option-some-journalists)
Advocacy reporting remedies this issue, as these trans reporters can add their point of view to the story allowing them to state their existence without fear of being punished.
Reporters’ point of views are extremely valuable for stories as that way, light can be shined on oppressive structures in journalism and outside of it.
Baleria 20
(Gina Baleria Ed.D., assistant professor of digital media, media writing, and journalism at Sonoma State University, “It’s time for journalism educators to rethink ‘objectivity’ and teach more about context” 9/11/20. https://www.poynter.org/educators-students/2020/its-time-for-journalism-educators-to-rethink-objectivity-and-teach-more-about-context/)
Even the factual truth itself objectivity strives for is not outside power structures, and these power structures uphold oppression. We must strive to end this oppression, meaning we have to avoid striving for truth whatsoever.
Lorenzini 15
(Daniele Lorenzini, University of Saint Louis-Brussels, “What is a ‘regime of truth’” 2/2/2015. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317961938_What_is_a_Regime_of_Truth)
When reporters don’t have to strive for truth, they can address these harmful structures, and not propagate them.
Onto the AFF!