By Adam Wojcik
For nearly as long as The BV has been publishing newspapers this semester, Liam McGurl, co-managing editor of the paper, has written several “Objective Look” pieces. Giving any article—or, in this case, series of articles—the title of “Objective Look” leaves one with the expectation that what he or she is about to read is an impartial, neutral and fact-based perspective on whatever topic follows. However, after having read the articles, it is clear that they are, for the most part, anything but objective.
While I could dissect and analyze each article individually, for the sake of space and time, I’ll only do so with a couple. His article titled “Coming Out Day” is a prime example of favoring subjective opinion over objective analysis.
Primarily, his use of language reveals this, as he writes, “as I see it,” “our,” “we,” or, more specifically, “our fellow liberal friends.” He not only involves himself in the subject matter, but also details personal experiences and his own views, such as countering a common conservative opinion or suggesting how the situation of homosexual men and women should be dealt with in the film industry.
At face value, there’s nothing wrong with these opinions, but if an article offers one’s personal views, how can it be in any way objective?
As for his most recent piece, titled “Drop the mic, men,” the case is much the same. Much of his language is far from neutral and impersonal, as he inserts his own insights and opinions at several points, labeling Luke Nolan’s viewpoint as “shifty” and an act of verbal “self-righteous suppression” and offering his own assertion of what Nolan meant when he listed the side-effects and potential complications of oral contraception. His call for the inclusion of women’s perspectives on this issue is admirable and indeed important to having a more balanced view, as he suggests, but his misinterpretation of Nolan’s arguments is far from objective.
I should say that while I disagree with his methods, I don’t entirely disagree with his views nor do I feel he shouldn’t be allowed to express them. However, being co-managing editor of a campus newspaper, he ought to already understand the difference between objectivity and subjectivity.
That being said, I would like to ask a few things of him. If you plan to write what are essentially opinion editorials, then simply submit them to the Opinions section; that’s where such pieces belong. Or, simply change the title to “Subjective Look.”
Or, better yet, if you feel that you cannot change the title because you aim to write objective articles, then write objectively. Offering your own opinion on a matter—however compassionate or empathetic your sentiments may be—leads to an immediate loss of objectivity. And, lastly, to continue to write subjectively under a heading that hints otherwise undermines your own credibility.
wojcikaj16@bonaventure.edu
