2. Fairness and Balance
• Fair: The report presents all important views
on a subject
• Unbiased: The reporter separates her
personal opinions
• Accurate: The news outlet each day makes
a rigorous effort to ensure facts are accurate
and presented in the correct context
• Get both sides and give sources a chance to
answer their critics
• Avoid loaded language: reform, pro-family
3. The Echo Chamber
• Are you reporting what’s newsworthy and
important to your audience, or do you
consider it newsworthy because a news
outlet you respect has given it attention?
• Incestuous amplification
• Are you writing to educate your audience
or give them confirmation about their
beliefs?
4. Verifying Assertions
• Don’t create an artificial balance: Legitimate
scientists on one side, passionate nut jobs on
the other
• It’s not enough to give the same amount of
time if one side is saying things that are
untrue
• The scientists who disagree with the
concept of climate change are a very small
number on the fringes (same with
autism/vaccine link)
5. Verifying Assertions
• Question stats with the “common sense” test:
– “as many as 2,000,000 children are abducted
every year in the U.S.
– 1 billion people watch the Academy Awards
• Avoid loaded language
– Not always easy: illegal immigrants vs.
undocumented workers
