Journalists feign objectivity for the public, but get them in a free-wheeling chat and they’ll spout opinions about anything — even the merits of coins.

Hence this Q&A today with Paul Farhi of The Washington Post:

READER: I was fairly shocked to see that they have redesigned the back of the penny. Does this seem like a waste of time to you?

PAUL FARHI: Yes. We should ban the penny and round everything up or down. Maybe take the nickel with you while we’re at it. Waste of resources, seems to me.

I happen to agree with Farhi about the penny, an annoying coin of no value in a country where inflation long ago made the penny worthless. I also happen to be an objective journalist in one format who still spouts opinions every day.

But Farhi’s condemnation of the penny — and of the dollar coin — came in the context of an online chat where he cautioned other journalists to choose their words wisely so they wouldn’t be suspended for revealing personal bias. How ironic.

I guess it’s safe to assume that Farhi won’t be covering any future debates about the merits of the penny.