Advice to Young Journalists

By Madeleine Kearns

Sunday, July 24, 2022

 

The following remarks are adapted from a talk given at the National Review Institute communicators conference in Washington, D.C.

 

Several years ago, I went on retreat to a Catholic convent. It’s a popular spot with the religious and non-religious, those looking to get away from the world and meet with someone removed from it. The elderly nun I met said something interesting in passing. Twenty years ago, she said, people came to her with relationship problems: Trouble with their spouses, children, in-laws, etc., But nowadays, people — especially young people — want to talk about their identity. This is representative of a profound cultural shift. Rather than looking outward, asking, How I do make sense of the world?, people are increasingly looking inward, asking, How does the world make sense of me?

 

This attitude often exists within the framework of moral relativism: the belief that I have my truth, my lived experience, and that any challenge to this is an affront to my humanity. This belief system is always going to be in tension with the job of a journalist, whose primary concern is ascertaining and communicating not somebody’s truth but rather the truth. Obviously, this pursuit requires a great deal of humility since the truth isn’t always obvious, and we all have our biases and blind spots, and easily get in the way of ourselves. Nevertheless, we should at least make objective truth our aim. And insofar as “sensitivity” is the result of a rejection of reality, it’s not something that journalists ought to worry about.

 

One manifestation of “sensitivity” is tribalism — groupthink. Lots of people are very invested in group identity because of how it makes them feel. Which is to say, secure. A political label is a way of saying, This is who I am, this is what I stand for, this is where I belong, and this is where I’m going. For this reason, people often get very upset when the integrity of their group is challenged. However, the job of a journalist is to challenge precisely this sort of thinking.

 

Another manifestation of “sensitivity” concerns those issues that, on an individual level, touch deeply on what it means to be human, around which people arrange their lives and to which people are emotionally attached. Religion is one, including secular religions. Family and sexual relationships are another. And then there are those things that people believe they need in order to live free and flourishing lives (abortion, for example).

 

So how, in the context of reported opinion pieces, do you write on these sensitive topics? The answer partly depends on what your aim is. If your aim is to feel morally superior or signal your standing in your political tribe — say what you like, however you like. Use whichever facts are convenient to your argument and ignore whichever are not. But if your aim is to advocate the truth in the voice that will travel furthest — out of the orbit of those who already agree — then you will need to be intelligent in how you present your case.

 

In no order, here are nine tips.

 

1.       Appreciate pathos.

 

Most people are more emotional than rational. They are won over on issues because something or, more often, someone, tugs at their heartstrings. So, find real people and real stories who will tug their heartstrings toward the truth.

 

2.       Present the facts without distortion.

 

When presenting facts avoid both euphemism and hyperbole. You typically need at least one piece of evidence for every “I reckon.”

 

3.       Ventriloquize experts.

 

The word “expert” has got a bad name, but they are still very helpful. As a journalist you’re not an expert, nor do you need to be. You don’t need a biologist to tell you what a woman is, but if that’s the accepted currency, it doesn’t hurt to quote one.

 

4.       Ask the questions others don’t or won’t.

 

Most readers aren’t experts, either. So, start with the basics. For example, “What is a woman?” “What is meant by ‘person capable of pregnancy’?” Your worldview and convictions are never an excuse to distort facts. But they are useful prompts in asking questions others don’t — or won’t — ask.

 

5.       Understatement is powerful.

 

You’re not a mind reader, so avoid imputing motive. Besides, unless you have the rare gift of comedy, understatement is more effective than name-calling.

 

6.       When possible: Attack ideas, not people.

 

The late Antonin Scalia said, “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people. Some very good people have some very bad ideas.” Generosity of spirit can earn you a reputation as a straight shooter. This makes people who are disinclined to agree with you more inclined to take you seriously.

 

7.       Get over it.

 

You need a thick skin in this business. If you’re afraid of people being mean about you on Twitter, you’re in the wrong job. And if you’re worried about some of your “own side” turning against you, then congratulations — you’ve found something worth writing about.

 

8.       Have a sense of humor.

 

If you don’t want people to be oversensitive, don’t you be oversensitive yourself! The trick is not to take yourself — or most things in life — too seriously.

 

9.       If the choice is between being sensitive and being truthful — be truthful.

 

Never bow to the mob.