ABSTRACT
This chapter takes a closer look at independence and how it, along with transparency, is linked to a long-running discussion about the role objectivity plays in journalism. Independence from faction helps us define journalism by specifying one way in which it is different from other information-related activities that are frequently confused with it. This notion of independence applies to the press more generally too, not just individual journalists. The folks who pay the bills for journalism are among the “others” from whom news organizations (and not just individual journalists) need to maintain their independent distance. Shielding journalists from advertiser pressure is a long-standing norm in journalism. Journalists are not neutral when they make choices and judgments about what to cover and how to cover it every day.
