Equity Talks: Objectivity Is a Privilege Afforded to White Journalists
“Under the banner of diversity, racialized people are told to bring ourselves and our perspectives. But, if we bring too much of them, we get held back.” –Pacinthe Mattar
Many of us can relate to this feeling: if we bring our full selves to work, school, social gatherings and other settings, we fear that we will not be heard or believed. We fear that we will lose out on opportunities because we are “too much” or “not enough”, or that we don’t fit at all.
But who gets to decide if we’re too much or not enough? In a 2020 article that went viral, Pacinthe Mattar challenged the notions of objectivity, especially how it applies to racialized folks. Her argument suggests that what passes as objectivity in societal dialogues is really rooted in white-centric perspectives and white privilege. The result of this is the silencing or erasure of the perspectives and stories of racialized folks. In our contemporary world where much of our news is shaped by mainstream and social media, the erasure of narratives of racialized peoples is harmful and undermines the basis of our democratic ideals.
Join us to hear Pacinthe speak about her article, her experiences, and her analysis of how objectivity has been used to silence certain voices and narratives.
Pacinthe Mattar is a journalist, writer and producer. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Pacinthe has since called Toronto, Saudi Arabia and Dubai home. She has spent over a decade in journalism and media, including ten years at the CBC, where she was a long-term producer at The Current on CBC Radio One. She also reported for Deutsche Welle in Germany as an Arthur F. Burns Fellow through the Washington-based International Center for Journalists.
Her journalism has focused on race and racism, police brutality, refugees and migration, violence against women, Middle East politics, pop culture Indigenous issues and more. Her work has also appeared in Chatelaine, Toronto Life, Buzzfeed, Canadian Business and Reader’s Digest. In 2021, she received the National Magazine Award for her feature essay in the Walrus, “Objectivity Is a Privilege Afforded to White Journalists.” The next year, she was selected as a Fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.
Pacinthe earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto at Mississauga before completing her Master’s degree in journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University.
This is a Pillar 2 Event in the Junior Fellows Professional Program. For more information, view this webpage: Junior Fellows Professional Program – Massey College
MASSEY MEMBERS: Please login using your registered Massey email to receive applicable discounts and offers.
