I don't know who needs to hear this, but traditional media just failed us hugely. Journalists with no real stake in the damage being done insisted on reporting down to the partisan rabble. Their inability to deviate from convention normalized a situation that was entirely insane.

The solution is not to do away with standards of objectivity in journalism. Taking a step back and coolly examining a subject from all angles is important. Fighting bias in your reporting is crucial. That doesn't mean you should get fired for expressing an opinion on Twitter.

ALL JOURNALISTS HAVE OPINIONS. We're not robots! But as an example, anyone who follows me here knows I have lots of opinions. But I've been trained to put my opinions aside when I report. I still have them, I can express them on my own time, but they don't belong in my journalism

The mark of a good reporter is not that they are bloodless automatons programmed to give both sides equal weight. That way misses context, nuance and substance. It's that they can have personal opinions, feel empathy for people being victimized and still fight bias in their work.

Here's a secret about good journalism: caring actually helps! It's better to have a connection with the subject and use your emotional awareness as a tool when you report. People will tell you more, your work will be more compelling and meaningful, and you won't miss injustices.

We spend so much time programming young reporters to be ashamed of their emotions and stomp on opinions like cockroaches. That was the old way, and make no mistake: it failed us spectacularly. It will fail us again. We must move forward and find a better way to do journalism.