Published: January 28, 1997
Last Updated: August 17, 1999
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It's not just both sides — it's all sides

The modern newspaper needs to reflect the many dimensions of its communities

Value No. 1: Balance/Fairness/Wholeness

The JVI editors were quick to say that journalists too often approach balance as covering "both sides" of the story. The news coverage that results can become conflict-driven, taking on the feel of sharp dichotomies such as pro and con, right and wrong, winners and losers, either and or.

The editors rejected this conventional definition of balance, calling instead for an approach that reflects how communities work. The approach recognizes that a range of diverse viewpoints exists; that there are solutions along with problems; that at the same time the unusual occurs, the profoundly ordinary exists; and that there is good with the bad.

The editors concluded that their discussions were less about "balance" and more about reflecting a sense of fairness and wholeness. But what does this really mean?

First, journalists must not move too quickly to the extremes. While some people argued that conflict made for a good story -- and is somewhat predictable to cover -- the editors realized the public yearns for something more. Instead, journalists need to move in from the margins and capture the moderate perspectives, points of agreement and places where indecision, uncertainty and indifference exist.

Second, the group emphasized that newspapers and journalists must tap into the many layers of their communities. They must look beyond the official institutions and "usual suspects" to illuminate what is happening throughout their communities. This will require journalists to take a broader and deeper approach to thinking about community life.

Finally, journalists need to uncover and understand their own preconceived views about what is important in a given issue. These journalistic assumptions, the editors stressed, often can, and sometimes do, influence how a journalist approaches the value of balance.

Balanced coverage, the editors said, should be measured as a body of work that newspapers and journalists do over time, not just in a single story.

What does it mean to provide balance/fairness/wholeness?

Consider how to...

• Change our mindset -- don't approach balance as providing equal weight on two sides; rather, find ways to give relative weight to the public's many different perspectives.
• Reflect a community's "wholeness" -- which incorporates the good, the bad and the profoundly ordinary.
• Take readers to the margins and extremes, but do not dwell there at the exclusion of the "middle" -- report on ambiguity, consensus and ambivalence.
• Understand that communities have many different layers and dimensions -- move between and within them to capture the mosaic of voices, viewpoints, events, problems and solutions that exist.
• Look beyond conflicts to explore underlying issues and perspectives -- this will help engage people and create a greater sense of possibility.
• Avoid falsely creating or overpresenting "sides" or points of view where they don't exist.
• Step back and reflect on the patterns within news coverage and communities -- provide balance over time, not just on a day-to-day basis.