Look, I’m Biased. Deal With It.
Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat. I’m biased. Shocking, I know. But honestly, after 22 years in this industry, I’m done pretending otherwise. I’ve worked at places where we’d sit around and talk about ‘objectivity’ like it’s some holy grail. Newsflash: it’s not. It’s a myth. A nice idea, sure, but a myth nonetheless.
I remember back in ’03, during the Iraq War, I was at a conference in Austin with this guy—let’s call him Marcus. We got into it over a piece I’d written. He said, ‘You can’t just say the intelligence was flawed. You gotta give both sides.’ And I said, ‘Marcus, there is no both sides when lives are at stake.’ He didn’t like that. But I stand by it.
So yeah, I’m biased. But here’s the thing: I think you should be too. Not in a crazy, foaming-at-the-mouth way. But in a ‘I care about this issue and I’m gonna report on it honestly’ way. Because honestly, if you’re not biased, you’re not paying attention.
Why ‘Both Sides’ is Bullshit
Okay, so this is gonna ruffle some feathers. Too bad. The ‘both sides’ journalism thing is completley overrated. It’s like this weird committment to false equivalency. Not every issue has two sides. Sometimes there’s one right side and one wrong side. And sometimes, the truth is messy and doesn’t fit neatly into a ‘he said, she said’ format.
Take climate change, for example. You’ve got scientists on one side saying, ‘Hey, the planet’s heating up, we gotta do something.’ And then you’ve got a bunch of lobbyists and politicians saying, ‘Nah, it’s a hoax.’ Now, if you’re gonna give equal weight to both of those positions, you’re not doing your job. You’re just being lazy.
I had a colleague named Dave who used to say, ‘But what about the audience? They wanna hear both sides.’ And I’d say, ‘Dave, the audience isn’t stupid. They can figure it out. But they need the facts first.’
The Problem With ‘Neutral’ News
Neutral news is boring. It’s also dishonest. Because here’s the thing: news isn’t neutral. It’s shaped by the people who report it, the people who edit it, the people who publish it. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s just reality.
I was talking to a friend last Tuesday over coffee at the place on 5th. She’s a teacher, not in the industry, but she gets it. She said, ‘You can’t be neutral about stuff that matters.’ And I said, ‘Exactly. If you’re neutral about racism, you’re saying racism is okay. If you’re neutral about sexism, you’re saying sexism is okay. That’s not neutrality. That’s complicity.’
So yeah, I’m not neutral. And I’m not gonna pretend to be. Because that’s not how the world works. And it’s not how news should work either.
How to Spot Bias (Including Your Own)
Okay, so I’m biased. You’re biased. We’re all biased. The question is, what are you gonna do about it? First, you gotta admit it. That’s the hard part. Because nobody likes to admit they’re wrong. But once you do, you can start working on it.
Here’s what I do. I read a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And I don’t just read stuff I agree with. I read stuff I disagree with too. Because if you’re only reading stuff that confirms what you already think, you’re not learning anything. You’re just reinforcing your own biases.
And look, I’m not saying this is easy. It’s not. It takes time. It takes effort. But it’s worth it. Because at the end of the day, the truth matters. And the truth isn’t always comfortable. But it’s always important.
Oh, and if you wanna stay up-to-date on current events, check out the current events news summary over at Vegas News. They do a good job of breaking down the big stories in a way that’s actually useful.
A Quick Tangent: The Internet is Ruining Everything
Okay, so this isn’t directly related, but I gotta vent. The internet is ruining journalism. It’s ruining everything. Because now everybody’s a journalist. And that’s great in theory. But in practice, it’s a mess. Because now you’ve got people out here spreading misinformation like it’s their job. And it is their job. Their job is to get clicks. And they don’t care if what they’re saying is true. They just care if it’s getting attention.
I was talking to a source about three months ago. He’s a scientist, works with data all day. He said, ‘You know what the problem is? People don’t care about the truth anymore. They just care about being right.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, and that’s a problem.’
So yeah, the internet is a mess. But it’s our mess. And we gotta deal with it. Because ignoring it isn’t gonna make it go away.
Anyway, back to bias.
The Bottom Line
So here’s the bottom line. Bias isn’t the enemy. Ignorance is. And dishonesty is. If you’re honest about your biases, and you’re willing to challenge them, you’re already ahead of the game. Because most people aren’t. Most people just wanna be right. And that’s not how the world works.
I’m gonna leave you with this. I was at a dinner party about a month ago. Some guy—let’s call him Greg—said to me, ‘You know, I don’t trust journalists. You guys are all biased.’ And I said, ‘Greg, you’re biased too. We all are. The difference is, I admit it. And I try to do something about it. What do you do?’ And he didn’t have an answer. Because he didn’t have one.
So yeah, I’m biased. But I’m working on it. And I think you should be too.
About the Author: Jane Sterling has been a senior editor at Stirling News for over two decades. She’s covered everything from politics to pop culture, and she’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers along the way. When she’s not writing, she’s probably arguing about something trivial on Twitter or drinking too much coffee. You can find her on Twitter @JaneSterling or email her at jane.sterling@stirlingnews.uk.
