--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole sort of debate of classic…" description: "\"The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism versus a new immersion journalism - that can go on forever... I made no bones about my positio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg" --- # The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism… ![“The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism versus a new immersion journalism - that can go on forever... I made no bones about my position: I don't think you can be objective.” quote by Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg) > “The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism versus a new immersion journalism - that can go on forever... I made no bones about my position: I don't think you can be objective.” [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that true objectivity in journalism is unattainable, favoring immersive, subjective storytelling. **In simple terms:** Objectivity is impossible; immersion works better. Key Takeaway Embrace immersive reporting. Themes journalism objectivity immersion truth ethics Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - newsrooms - documentary projects - feature writing - media education Key Concepts subjectivity narrative bias media theory Questions to Reflect On - Can journalism be both immersive and fair? - How does subjectivity affect credibility? A Different Perspective Objectivity may still be a useful guiding principle for fairness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) ## Related quotes > [I think I should be objective, call 'em as I see 'em. Stay the Tooz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matuszak/i-think-i-should-be-objective-call-em-as-i-see-em-stay-the-tooz/) [John Matuszak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matuszak/) > [I think nothing, at an objective level, is either right or wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-bajaj/i-think-nothing-at-an-objective-level-is-either-right-or-wrong/) [Karan Bajaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-bajaj/) > [I don't think the objective of an abortion clinic is to try to talk women out of having the procedure. That obviously would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/i-don-t-think-the-objective-of-an-abortion-clinic-is-to-try-to-talk/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [Which is one of the dangers of immersion journalism: you can find yourself getting sucked into battles you have nothing to do with, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annia-ciezadlo/which-is-one-of-the-dangers-of-immersion-journalism-you-can-find/) [Annia Ciezadlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annia-ciezadlo/) > [Be honest about what you can get. To make a sacrifice and to get what you want you need to be very certain. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/be-honest-about-what-you-can-get-to-make-a-sacrifice-and-to-get-what/) [Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/) > [No, I don't think you're ever an objective observer. By making a frame you're being selective, then you edit the pictures you want published…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/no-i-don-t-think-you-re-ever-an-objective-observer-by-making-a-frame/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [“Some people will say that words like scum and rotten are wrong for Objective Journalism—which is true, but they miss the point. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/some-people-will-say-that-words-like-scum-and-rotten-are-wrong-for-2/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Objective journalism is one of the main reasons that American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/objective-journalism-is-one-of-the-main-reasons-that-american/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/with-the-possible-exception-of-things-like-box-scores-race-results/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“So much for Objective Journalism. Don't bother to look for it here--not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/so-much-for-objective-journalism-don-t-bother-to-look-for-it-here-not/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/objective-journalism-and-an-opinion-column-are-about-as-similar-as/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [Some people will say that words like scum and rotten are wrong for Objective Journalism -- which is true, but they miss the point.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/some-people-will-say-that-words-like-scum-and-rotten-are-wrong-for/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No harm comes to man from outside alone: dumbness is the objective spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-adorno/no-harm-comes-to-man-from-outside-alone-dumbness-is-the-objective/) [Theodor Adorno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-adorno/) > [I'm objective because I tell the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-m-objective-because-i-tell-the-truth/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) ## More by Shane Smith > [I think there are so many problems in the world today, we have to figure out how to fix them rather than point fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-think-there-are-so-many-problems-in-the-world-today-we-have-to/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [If you're big in Montreal, you're big in Quebec. If you're big in Toronto, you're big in Canada. But if you're big in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/if-you-re-big-in-montreal-you-re-big-in-quebec-if-you-re-big-in/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I never thought we had a chance of impacting anything. I am just starting to realize that we can change things - not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-never-thought-we-had-a-chance-of-impacting-anything-i-am-just/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [Whenever I view success, I'm dressed as Mozart on an island.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/whenever-i-view-success-i-m-dressed-as-mozart-on-an-island/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I don't care if I die - look, I'm old - but you want your kids to have good times and a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-don-t-care-if-i-die-look-i-m-old-but-you-want-your-kids-to-have/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [American media has just become talk radio, incredibly partisan name-calling and op-eds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/american-media-has-just-become-talk-radio-incredibly-partisan-name/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I want to build the next CNN with 'VICE' - it's within my grasp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-want-to-build-the-next-cnn-with-vice-it-s-within-my-grasp/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [It's our job to get into the hardest-to-see places and bring back the best footage - we have the best footage of North Korea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/it-s-our-job-to-get-into-the-hardest-to-see-places-and-bring-back-the/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [Every generation has a changing of the guard in media. We do the same stuff that everybody else does, but we just do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/every-generation-has-a-changing-of-the-guard-in-media-we-do-the-same/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I have a place in Costa Rica that is in the middle of the jungle. There's no Internet. There's no TV. Do I work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-have-a-place-in-costa-rica-that-is-in-the-middle-of-the-jungle/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [When you're 18, 19, you want to live fast and leave a beautiful corpse behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/when-you-re-18-19-you-want-to-live-fast-and-leave-a-beautiful-corpse/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [If you're coming from America to Iraq, then how are you supposed to be objective? I mean, you could pay lip service to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/if-you-re-coming-from-america-to-iraq-then-how-are-you-supposed-to-be/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [You have to be dynamic. You have to be able to change. So a lot of times we'll go to a country or go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/you-have-to-be-dynamic-you-have-to-be-able-to-change-so-a-lot-of/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I woke up. I was like, "Look, you can do anything you want - and you want a lot of things, so you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-woke-up-i-was-like-look-you-can-do-anything-you-want-and-you-want-a/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) > [I want to be like Tom Freston. Tom just flies around everywhere, gets to make movies, gets to start TV shows, hang out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/i-want-to-be-like-tom-freston-tom-just-flies-around-everywhere-gets/) [Shane Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) [Explore all 72 Shane Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism versus a new immersion journalism - that can go on forever... I made no bones about my position: I don't think you can be objective.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shane Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-objective-journalism-versus-a-new/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-objective-journalism-versus-a-new/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/shane-smith-9533_about_the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-obje_1183480.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole sort of debate of classic objective journalism versus a new immersion journalism - that can go on…” — Shane Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shane Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The whole sort of debate of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-objective-journalism-versus-a-new/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-smith/the-whole-sort-of-debate-of-classic-objective-journalism-versus-a-new/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```