Writing an Unbiased News Article

It's possible to stay objective when reporting the news

In 21st-century America, we the people insist we want our news presented objectively. Do we really, though? Citizens from everywhere on the political spectrum accuse the mainstream media of being biased, but the truth is, they only rail at the news sources that don't agree with their own convictions.

Thanks to upbringing and social conditions, everyone is guilty of some degree of bias, and the members of the fourth estate are not excluded from that fact. Interestingly, while many folks claim that the supposed partisan slant of various news sources today is a betrayal of our ideal of objectivity, there are some who counter that news reporting has been biased since before the United States was founded, and thus this is the normal state of things.

But, in my humble opinion, that kind of journalism can be dangerous. If Americans are to consider themselves responsible citizens, they need to make sure they're informed citizens. The problem is, finding a trustworthy, objective source of information in the current landscape can be difficult.

News in the Internet Age

Because of the democracy and all-access capability of the World Wide Web, anyone can now be a news reporter. Take photos or video of an event with your phone, upload that content to a website, blog, or social-media platform, type up some accompanying text, and you have become an unofficial member of the media. It's as easy as that.

Because of that ease, the once powerful newspaper is suffering more and more all the time. Brick-and-mortar publications have lost readers and advertisers, and so have been forced by financial straits to reduce their workforce, making it increasingly difficult to cover the important stories like they used to do.

So, the amateurs are filling in for the displaced professionals, with different degrees of success. Sometimes the news they report is genuine and has a fresh perspective. But a lot of the available information is greatly embellished, based on rumor, or even wholly made up. Making things more difficult, the real news might be presented in an untrained, clumsy format, while the invented stuff can often be quite slick and professional looking. And consumers are left with the unenviable task of deciding which is which.

No One is Safe from Bias

In the wake of the 2016 presidential campaign, people came to discover that a great deal of the related information that had floated around was purposely misleading or full of outright lies. A result of this was an increased awareness of actual "fake news" and a skepticism of what the media offered. That doesn't mean, however, that we're not still inundated by a dangerous amount of propaganda and fabrication.

Even professional journalists and editors carefully striving to produce objective news stories cannot escape accusations of bias. The fact is, those people are biased, because everyone is biased on some level. How, then, can a writer reduce the chances of getting hit with bias claims and earn a reputation as a trustworthy news source?

Writing an Objective News Article

1. Prepare and Answer the Basic Questions. Ask yourself: What happened? Who was involved? Where, Why, When, and How did it happen? Then record your answers with as much detail as possible.

2. Conduct Interviews and Get Quotes. Drawing on a first-hand source for your information will greatly increase your article's credibility and authority. When interviewing someone, make sure you get exactly what is said and that you properly cite the source of your chosen quotes. While you want to ask questions and listen to the subject's anecdotes, you also want to do so with an open mind and no judgment.

3. Include Diverse Perspectives. Focus your investigation on the people directly affected by whatever it is you're covering. Rather than relying on official government and corporate entities that have political and financial interest in your reporting, seek out sources who are generally underrepresented or misrepresented by the mainstream press--women, minorities, blue-collar workers, gay people, and public-interest groups.

4. Get to Know Your Topic. In order to produce a deep, credible article, you should thoroughly research the subject before you start writing.

5. Check Your Facts. Even if you're doing all your research online, you can find tools and resources that will help you make sure all your information is correct. Websites such as politifact.com, factcheck.org, and snopes.com are totally dedicated to discovering which rumors and reports are based on fact and which are partially or completely false.

6. Collate and Organize the Pertinent Information. Using your investigative and research notes, make a list of all the important info and then weed out what is interesting but not vital and what might be related but isn't necessary to the purpose of your story. That will leave you with the primary facts and any details that will help the reader learn more, such as quotes, contact details, and additional information about the people involved.

7. Avoid "Loaded" Language. While writing your article, don't use words and terms that could appear to support or criticize some part of the story. Steer clear of terms with positive or negative connotations as well as those that suggest bias against particular types of people or groups.

8. Employ a Proofreader. Even if you've reviewed your finished article several times, you should still have someone else read it. That person will check your facts for accuracy, consistency, and logic; uncover additional questions or holes in the narrative; and even proof your spelling and grammar. Should you disagree with the corrections and suggestions you get back, be professional enough to listen anyway.

A free press is an indispensable part of our democracy's foundation. There is risk in that freedom, however, since anyone can produce, publish, and disseminate virtually whatever s/he desires. Finding trustworthy news may have gotten more complicated, but it's still every citizen's duty. Our reporters, professional and amateur, must accept the responsibility for offering the most reliable information possible.

References Fair.org: How To Detect Bias In News Media, (No author given); (No date). Wikipedia.com: Media bias, (no author given); May 24, 2018. SaturdayEveningPost.com: Balancing Act, by Frederick E. Allen; May/June 2013. Wikihow.com: How to Write a News Article, (No author given); June 13, 2018. HuffingtonPost.com: Reducing Media Bias In Our Newsfeeds Is Complicated, by Laura Akers; Nov 17, 2016.

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