UTSC journalism prof to explore how objectivity impacts the experiences of racialized journalists in Canadian newsrooms

A developing project led by Hadiya Roderique aims to document how the concept of journalistic objectivity has influenced the experiences of racialized journalists in Canadian newsrooms. 

In recent years, personal public essays by racialized journalists who parted ways with large news institutions have addressed editorial challenges related to objectivity and race, including feeling that their voices and viewpoints are disregarded. Roderique’s project – which is funded by the BRN’s 2023/2024 IGNITE Grant – seeks to strengthen academic discourse about their experiences. 

“Reading those personal pieces, I wanted a comprehensive, research-based examination on the experiences of racialized journalists in Canadian newsrooms and how objectivity is used as a barrier when they want to report on our communities,” says Roderique, an assistant professor in the journalism program at U of T Scarborough and award-winning journalist. 

“I hope to show that the people reporting accurately are close to the subject.”

Journalistic objectivity separates reporters from their subjects to ensure unbiased reporting. Since the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the concept and practice have been re-evaluated to emphasize that those closest to a topic provide readers with more reliable, accurate and compassionate reporting. 

Additionally, the legacies of an industry predominantly shaped by white men have prompted a deeper examination of the lack of diversity in newsrooms — especially at the managerial level. 

According to a 2023 diversity survey from the Canadian Association of Journalists, white journalists represent 84 per cent of supervisor roles and 82.5 per cent of the top three leadership positions in the country’s newsrooms. Meanwhile, 19.3 per cent of journalists identified as a visible minority.

This lack of diversity can negatively impact editorial practices and shape news reporting. Roderique’s emphasis on the importance of data-driven work will help foster ongoing dialogue about decolonizing and unbiasing journalistic practices.

“We have this notion of objectivity, but it is really a notion of white objectivity,” Roderique explains. “When racialized journalists want to tell a story closer to their communities, there is a misperception that they are too biased or can’t report accurately.”

In addition to journalists, Roderique will interview editors about the role of objectivity in their decision-making regarding story assignments, coverage, and editing. This includes examining whether lived experience is considered during the assignment process. In contrast, she will also interview journalists and editors from publications that center racialized voices to learn about their approaches to navigating objectivity.

“When racialized journalists are allowed to report on issues related to race, how are they told to report about the topic and how do they navigate the concept of objectivity in that instance?” Roderique says.

Roderique will also explore how challenging editorial perspectives can threaten career advancement to managerial roles. She is interested in learning how journalists navigate office politics and differences in editorial views to progress in their careers. 

In 2020, the Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) and Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC) published seven calls to action to help Canadian news outlets reach EDI goals, which includes addressing the lack of representation in Canadian newsrooms in journalism schools.

In alignment with this call, Roderique will use findings from the project to develop a third or fourth-year course about reporting on Black, Indigenous and racialized communities for U of T Scarborough’s journalism program. She will also create an undergraduate lecture on race and objectivity for the third-year journalism course, “Critical Approaches to Narrative, Form, and Style.”

Roderique’s initiatives to enhance U of T Scarborough’s journalism program follows efforts by other journalism schools to prepare future journalists to deepen commitments to EDI and advocate for racialized perspectives. These efforts will extend beyond the classroom; Roderique plans to create workshops for media professionals and editors that focus on objectivity and reporting.

Meanwhile, the IGNITE Grant allowed Roderique to hire a research assistant who is helping to develop a question guide and conduct interview outreach. Interviews are scheduled for the summer of 2025.

“We can’t ignore what is happening in Canadian newsrooms,” Roderique says. “It’s up to all of us to be part of the solution.”