Can a Newspaper Truly be Neutral?

Written By: Dan Stanley  |  Posted: Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

As you may have read, most newspapers claim to be unbiased in their reporting. Of course, that is good if they are. For to be biased is to be on a slope. It is a word that illustrates trickery. It is someone who takes some data and bends it to suit their own beliefs and agenda at the expense of what is true. How many times are people quoted "out of context" in a newspaper article?! I have experienced that myself. The very words I said were so twisted that the opposite report was written. This was biased reporting. Unbiased reporting means the author is telling the truth. He is not bending the facts or leaving out things at the expense of the truth. He doesn't cause those who were written about to wonder how the writer came up with what he wrote.

Well, we are determined to have unbiased reporting. We want to tell the truth. Wouldn't you assume if a newspaper reports what is true, that they would not be accused of being biased or unbalanced or an "extreme left wing or right wing nut?" Yes, you would think so. But it is not that way. If there is a bias in reporting, it is when newspapers try to marginalize another voice because they write or take positions in writing that are the opposite of what the other paper believes. They are not satisfied to exchange their beliefs on a public format and let the readers make a sound decision. No, they would rather paint that person or organization in a way that would cause the mainline (whatever that is) reader think they are dangerous or kooky. Let someone question the governing of the government, and suddenly they may be labeled as anti-government. Let someone question the lifestyle of the homosexual and suddenly they have homophobia. Let someone question the very nature of the welfare system, and suddenly they lack compassion. Let someone question the ecumenism of our day, and suddenly they are narrow and bigoted. Let someone question some of the wars we are fighting and suddenly they are unpatriotic. Let someone question allowing millions of illegal aliens into America, and suddenly they are racists. Let someone question evolution, and suddenly they are anti-intellectual. Let someone question or challenge the act of aborticide, and suddenly they are anti abortion. The list is long. You get the point.

Sign into your account to read the rest of this article. »