Behind the Bylines: Good journalism isn’t bias-free, it’s bias-aware

Behind the Bylines: Good journalism isn’t bias-free, it’s bias-aware

I’ve lost count of how often I’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t read the news. It’s all biased anyway.” I’ve heard it from students, friends, family, and sometimes unsolicited from strangers when they find out what I do. Bias isn’t some secret, sinister agenda creeping into newsrooms unnoticed. Bias is perspective. In some cases, it’s inevitable. Like everyone else, journalists see the world through their own experiences and assumptions. It would b…