Debates of history: the evolution of the concept of objectivity in Umberto Eco

Abstract

This paper aims to address the evolution of the concept of journalistic objectivity in Umberto Eco, within the context of a debate triggered by the Italian magazine L’Espresso in 1969. It also intends to ponder on the cultural differences underlying the interpretation of the concept which persist in regions where journalistic objectivity is assumed as guiding practice in the information sector. In the context of a world increasingly mediated by technical environment, this research supports the idea that objectivity should be progressively associated with citizens’ need to make use of identifiable sources for the verification of information.