The New Broadcast Journalism; Free of Bias
By Lanier Gray
Helen Hamilton, 17, hopes to make an impression on the broadcasting world by helping eliminate bias in news stories.
Helen’s broadcast journalism journey began at The Pitt County Review, a government television channel in her hometown, Greenville, N.C. The Review covers community events and reports on the city council. Initially she was told that only rising college freshmen could apply for the anchor position.
“I don’t care, I am going to do it anyways,” Helen said. It was that determination that gained her a spot as an anchor.
Although Helen started working at The Pitt County Review one year ago, her dream of being a broadcast journalist began at an early age. “I just remember being a little kid and watching my mother,” Helen said. Her mother was a broadcaster for WRAL in Raleigh.
“As a child I used to say, I don’t want to be anything like my mother,” she said. “But this is what I am good at, this is what I am passionate about and it is something that I definitely want to pursue. Broadcasting is in my blood.”
Her experience at The Pitt County Review has shown her the importance of staying unbiased, especially when reporting political stories. This stance on objectivity has inspired her to work toward a change in the TV industry.
“I see a lot of differences between networks,” she said. “I see really Democratic networks and really Republican networks and because of that we do not get the full story. We do not get both sides and that takes away from the main point.”
“As I see it, the broadcast journalism world is running from diversity,” said Helen. Her solution is to report what is unbiased and true and let the public decide for itself.
Helen has always looked up to her mother for support and advice. However, she believes the journalists today are not fulfilling their full potential due to the constant presence of bias.
“From the beginning a journalist should be trained to observe in an objective manner,” said Helen. “I believe a journalist is responsible for reporting the news instead of trying to influence it.”
Fortunately, Helen has seen firsthand how objectivity can lead to a successful news channel. The Pitt County Review gets a wide range of viewers from both sides of the political spectrum because of its commitment to objectivity.
Helen believes you can learn something valuable from every experience. “I have tried to keep a very unbiased mindset at The Pitt County Review and I think that will help me later on in life,” she said.
Helen’s background, passion and hopes for the future of broadcast journalism developed this summer when she participated in the weeklong Chuck Stone Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With the influence of her mother, the knowledge she has gained from the Chuck Stone Program and her experience at The Pitt County Review, Helen is focused on the future. “I am determined to impact broadcast journalism, by delivering the news as is, without the influence of bias,” she concluded.