These examples show how journalists can make it clear that their goal is to be fair, and their agenda is to serve their community. Some examples include:
Breaking news • Fairness and objectivity • Fake news • Opinion vs. news • Sensationalism
See a few stand-out examples in this gallery, and scroll down for a longer list to get inspired
Looking for additional help on how to implement similar ideas in your newsroom? Check out the below resources.
“BIAS AND FAIRNESS” HIGHLIGHTS
The Union Tribune has a public-facing “Fairness Checklist” they use as a guidepost when reporting stories. Specifically they include that they “Give subjects ample time to respond, generally speaking, a minimum of 24 hours.”
Science News reporter Erika Engelhaupt included a transparency box alongside her story explaining how she sourced the story, detailing why she talked to the experts she did.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times explained why it started using clearer labels to distinguish between opinion and news.
Community Impact drew attention to their balanced reporting and continued coverage over time by including an editor’s note at the top of a story directing readers to previous coverage on the topic.
The Record Searchlight wrote a column explaining the ethics that steer their newsroom, explaining how they strive to maintain objectivity.
The editor of USA TODAY, Nicole Carroll, wrote a column to talk about the organization’s goals of factual and fair reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic.