Fetishization of facts

Posted by ESC on August 12, 2003

In Reply to: Fetishization of facts posted by Bob on August 12, 2003

: : Hi,

: : I don't quite understand the bracketd phrase. Could anyone do me a favor.

: : The androcentric imperatives of journalism are discernible not only in definitions of newsworthiness, they argue, but also in the ruthless competition to be first with the news, an over-reliance on male sources, and [a fetishization of facts for their own sake (typically presented outside of their social, and therefore, gendered context)].

: : Thanks a lot.
: Just more of this feminist diatribe, making the dubious assertion that facts-for-the-sake-of-facts is a "male" trait,
: while facts-within-a-social-context is a "female" trait, and then further calling that fact-gathering a "fetish," to further emphasize the unreasoning nature of it.

Now Bob, don't cloud the issue with facts. (See my "take" on the paragraph in a separate post.) But, serious, as a feminist who majored in journalism and worked in the field for 30+ years, I think the whole line of thinking in these paragraphs is muddled.

If Helen Thomas was dead she'd spin in her grave.