I’m Tired of Fake Balance
Let me tell you something, folks. I’ve been in this game for over two decades. Twenty-three years, to be exact. I started at a tiny paper in Manchester, moved to London, and now here I am, writing for London Star. And I’m sick of this obsession with balance. You know what I’m talking about. That weird need to give equal weight to both sides, even when one side is clearly bonkers.
Take climate change, for instance. I had this conversation with a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He’s a nice guy, but honestly, his head’s stuck in the sand. We were arguing about an article, and he said, “We should give equal space to the climate deniers.” I looked at him and said, “Dave, you’re not serious. That’s like saying we should give equal space to flat earthers.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing. I get it. We’re trained to be balanced. It’s drilled into us from day one. But sometimes, you just gotta say, “Enough is enough.” And that’s what I’m doing today.
Why I’m Done with “Both Sides”
Look, I’m not saying we should become some sort of propaganda machine. That’s not what journalism is about. But we need to stop pretending that every issue has two equally valid sides. Sometimes, one side is just plain wrong. And it’s our job to call it out.
I remember this one time, back in 2005, I was covering a local council meeting. There was this guy, let’s call him Marcus, who was arguing that the earth was only 6,000 years old. Now, I’m not a scientist, but even I knew that was completley bonkers. But the chair of the meeting insisted on giving him equal time. It was maddening.
And that’s when it hit me. We’re not doing anyone any favors by pretending that every opinion is equally valid. Sometimes, you just gotta say, “No, that’s not how the world works.”
The Problem with “Neutral” Journalism
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for some sort of biased, sensationalist journalism. That’s not what we’re about. But we need to stop pretending that we can be completely neutral. Because the truth is, we can’t. And we shouldn’t.
I had this conversation with a friend of mine, Sarah, over coffee at the place on 5th. She’s a journalist too, works for a big national paper. And she was telling me about this article she had to write. It was about this new policy, and she was saying how she had to give equal space to both sides. And I said, “But what if one side is just plain wrong?” And she said, “That’s just how it is.”
And I thought, “No, that’s not how it should be.”
We need to stop pretending that we can be completely neutral. Because the truth is, we can’t. And we shouldn’t. We have a responsibilty to our readers to tell them the truth. Even if it’s not always popular.
How to Spot a Fake “Balanced” Article
So, how do you spot a fake “balanced” article? Well, first off, look at the sources. Are they credible? Or are they just some random person with a blog? Because honestly, not all opinions are created equal.
And another thing, look at the language. Is the article using neutral language? Or is it using loaded terms to make one side look bad? Because that’s not balance. That’s just bias in disguise.
And finally, look at the context. Is the article providing enough context to understand the issue? Or is it just presenting two opposing views and calling it a day? Because that’s not balance. That’s just lazy journalism.
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A Quick Digression: The Time I Got in Trouble
Speaking of lazy journalism, let me tell you about the time I got in trouble for calling out a lazy article. It was back in 2018, and I was working for this big national paper. And they published this article that was just so clearly biased. It was about this new policy, and it was just presenting two opposing views without any context or analysis.
And I was like, “This is not journalism. This is just regurgitating press releases.” And I said as much in a meeting. And my editor, this guy named Greg, he was not happy. He said, “We need to be balanced.” And I said, “No, we need to be accurate.”
And that’s when I knew I had to make a change. Because I realized that I couldn’t work for a paper that valued balance over accuracy.
The Future of News Consumption
So, what’s the future of news consumption? Well, I think it’s gonna be a lot more nuanced than just “both sides.” I think we’re gonna see a lot more emphasis on accuracy and context. And I think we’re gonna see a lot more journalists standing up and saying, “Enough is enough.”
And honestly, I’m excited about that. Because I think it’s gonna lead to a lot more honest, accurate journalism. And that’s what we all want, right? We all want to be informed. We all want to know the truth.
So, let’s make that happen. Let’s stop pretending that every issue has two equally valid sides. Let’s start calling out the fake balance. And let’s start telling the truth.
Because that’s what journalism is all about. And that’s what we owe to our readers.
About the Author
I’m Jane Doe, a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience in the news industry. I’ve worked for various publications, from small local papers to big national dailies. I’m passionate about honest, accurate journalism, and I’m not afraid to call out bias when I see it. When I’m not editing, you can find me reading, writing, or arguing with people on the internet.
