The tenets of journalism – objectivity, neutrality and newsworthiness – are often manipulated to go against the very grain of the field they claim to represent.


While objectivity and neutrality in journalism “are of deep importance to the field and the craft, dogmatically applying them without criticism or context can result in exactly the kind of bias they are trying to avoid,” the report states.


The line separating newsworthiness and revenue-generating clickbait is blurred by sensationalization: “Sensationalist titles and stories focused on violence and extremist views generate more attention and clicks, and thus provide income. As social media has become deeply embedded in the everyday lives of billions of users, who can share and disseminate information with authority becomes murkier,” the report states.


Meanwhile, objectivity and bias become euphemisms controlled by multinational conglomerates, government entities, and private individuals, giving platforms to hate and extremism that contribute to violence against dissent by people with marginalized identities.


The ammunition often comes from an appropriation and weaponization of religion – against people with certain religious identities, and as a means to champion violent causes generated by hate speech.


The dearth of religion and faith reporters creates a vacuum that’s being filled by non-journalistic religious organizations and individuals – often empowered by political leaders – who use social media to dissipate information that further tightens echo chambers, leaving no room for their readers to form their own opinions.