Look, I’m Biased. So Are You.
Let’s get this out of the way right now. I’m biased. Shocking, I know. But honestly, after 22 years in this business, I’ve learned that everyone’s biased. Even you, dear reader, sitting there thinking you’re somehow above it all. News bias isn’t some big, scary monster under the bed. It’s the bed itself. We’re all lying in it.
I started out at the Daily Chronicle in 1999. Fresh-faced, eager, and stupidly convinced I could be objective. My first editor, let’s call him Marcus, laughed in my face when I told him that. “Kid,” he said, “objectivity is a myth sold to make journalists feel better about their committment to the truth.” Harsh, right? But he was right.
Last Tuesday, I was having coffee with an old colleague named Dave. We were at that little place on 5th, the one with the terrible decaf. Dave’s been in the business even longer than me. He’s seen it all. We were talking about how the news industry has changed, and he said something that stuck with me: “We used to pretend we weren’t biased. Now we just own it.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But What About the Facts?
Oh, don’t get me wrong. Facts matter. They’re the foundation of everything we do. But here’s the thing: facts are like Legos. You can build anything with them. A beautiful house? Sure. A dumpster fire? Absolutely. It all depends on which facts you choose to highlight and which ones you leave in the box.
Take the 2016 election, for example. I was working at National Dispatch then. Our coverage was factually accurate, but we leaned into stories that made our audience—liberal, urban, college-educated—feel good about themselves. We ignored rural voices. We dismissed concerns about trade policies. We were completley tone-deaf to a huge chunk of the country. And why? Because we were biased.
Now, I’m not saying we should all become paragons of neutrality. That’s impossible. But we should at least be honest about our biases. Admit them. Own them. Let the readers decide what to do with that information.
The Algorithm Isn’t Helping
Here’s where it gets really messy. Social media algorithms are designed to reinforce our biases. They show us what we want to see, what we’re likely to engage with. And guess what? We engage with stuff that confirms our existing beliefs. It’s a vicious cycle.
I saw this firsthand when I was consulting for a digital media aquisition last year. We were analyzing engagement metrics, and it was crazy. Stories that played to our audience’s biases got shared like wildfire. Nuanced pieces that challenged our readers? Crickets. It’s no wonder we’re so polarized these days.
But here’s the thing: algorithms aren’t sentient. They don’t have biases. They just reflect ours back at us. So if we want to break out of this echo chamber, we have to make a conscous effort to seek out different perspectives. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s necessary.
How to Spot Bias (Including Your Own)
So how do you spot bias? In other people, it’s easy. You just look for the things they’re not talking about. The questions they’re not asking. The voices they’re not including. But in yourself? That’s the real challenge.
I try to do this thing where I ask myself, “What’s the opposite of what I believe?” And then I try to make the best argument I can for that opposite belief. It’s a mental exercise, basically. And it’s surprisingly effective. It forces me to confront my own biases head-on.
Another trick is to read widely. Don’t just stick to your usual sources. Pick up a newspaper from the other side of the political spectrum. Watch a news channel you disagree with. You don’t have to agree with them, but you should at least understand where they’re coming from. For helpful resources online guide and tools to expand your media diet, check out this helpful resources online guide.
A Quick Digression: The Time I Got It Wrong
About three months ago, I wrote a piece about a local school board election. I was so sure I had it all figured out. I had my sources, my facts, my narrative. And then, at 11:30pm the night before publication, I got a call from a teacher who’d been in the thick of it. She told me I’d missed the mark. Completley.
“You’re focusing on the wrong thing,” she said. “It’s not about the budget. It’s about the curriculum. And you’re not even scratching the surface.” I was humbled. And I was frustrated. Because she was right. I’d let my bias blind me to the real story.
So I rewrote the piece. And it was better for it. But it was a good reminder that even after all these years, I’m still capable of making mistakes. And that’s okay. As long as I’m willing to admit them and correct them, I’m doing my job.
So What Now?
I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I’m not even sure I have any of them. But I do know this: bias isn’t the enemy. Ignorance is. And the first step to overcoming our ignorance is admitting that we’re all biased. Including you. Including me.
So let’s start there. Let’s be honest with ourselves and each other. Let’s seek out different perspectives. Let’s challenge our own beliefs. And let’s remember that the truth isn’t something we own—it’s something we pursue. Together.
About the Author: Sarah Reynolds is a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism. She’s worked at major publications, digital startups, and everything in between. She believes in the power of storytelling, the importance of facts, and the necessity of calling out bullshit when she sees it. When she’s not editing, you can find her hiking, reading, or arguing about politics on the internet. She lives in Portland with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and her collection of vintage typewriters.
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