What Planet is That?

In today's NYT article on the new owners of the Philadelphia dailies, KQ Seelye beautifully illustrates the disconnect between the most highly professionalized journalists (herself being one of them) and anyone even casually interested in the way journalism actually operates. Interviewing the new chief owner, who comes from an entrepreneurial background and whom she expects to have trouble adjusting to the culture of journalism, she opines:

Some aspects of the culture are still unfamiliar. He was describing himself as a "zealous advocate" and added, "I hope our reporters will be zealous advocates for what they're trying to do as well." When it was pointed out that reporters are not supposed to be advocates for anything, he amended his comment.

"Zealous advocates for finding the truth," he said. "They shouldn't just be willing — if they believe in something, they should fight for it."

And yes, aren't journalists supposed to be zealous advocates for finding the truth? And for healthy public scrutiny? And for fairness and intelligence in public discourse? Just as judges are supposed to be zealous advocates of the justice system, even while maintaining their neutrality on any particular case. And of course Seelye herself is being a zealous advocate for a model of professional neutrality in her own apparently cool and detached ridicule of this entrepreneur, Brian Tierney.

Anyone even casually interested in journalism would point these things out. But somehow the most highly professionalized journalists can't notice them.