Actually, what it takes is actually to try to be objective (Hint: a good-faith effort at objectivity begins with candor about any reasons you might not be objective. And for any journalist, those reasons will start with the fact that, for logical business reasons, all journalists prefer negative stories).The first tipoff that a journalist is not even trying to be objective is when they claim, or insinuate, that they actually are objective. This will indicate not only that they are not objective about themselves, it will also demonstrate that they are cynical - since they know that they were taught in J-school that bad news sells. A claim of actual objectivity (not merely a claim that they are trying to be objective) coming from a journalist is therefore a claim that negativity is objectivity.
I put it to you that such a claim is a perfect definition of cynicism.
every story has to be the biggest news since sliced bread... and every event has to be earth shattering... the sensationalistic media is being hoist by their own petard, and it is a blast to witness it.
KUTGWDJT