‘Balance’ fetish is best avoided in news coverage

The U.S. presidential election is just under six months away, and every conversation is about to turn into a political debate. In the light of this, Ted Diadiun, reader representative of the Cleveland Plain Dealers, has a notion for all to consider: “News — particularly political news — should always be presented fairly, and in an unbiased way. However, I’m not so sure that “balance” should get equal billing.”

Fairness and balance may be the buzzwords of news coverage, but Diadiun notes “The job is to cover the news — what’s happening, who’s lying, who’s telling the truth — not to try to write the same number of words about each.”

Anonymous comments with stories raise questions

“Allowing people to post anonymous comments under stories is unfair to both the writer of the original story and to other readers because they have no way of judging where the comments are coming from, or how reliable the information is.”
— Jack Lessenberry, ombudsman, Toledo Blade

The online roulette of music and corporate sponsors

Is there is a conflict of interest when online sponsorship ads for specific albums, films and books appear on NPR.org next to a review of the same album, film or book?

It’s the season for political fact-checking

In the United States, the presidential political season is about to heat up. That always brings out some of the most pointed observations and criticisms from readers, notes Kansas City Star Public Editor Derek Donovan.

The refrain Donovan hears most often is simple: The Kansas City Star needs to cover the campaigns vigorously, with an emphasis on holding politicians accountable for sticking to the facts.

Share your opinion on Canada’s press councils

Some critical questions are being asked in a public survey on the future of Canada’s press councils.

Shake-up lends irony to press ombud’s award

Joe Thloloe, South Africa’s press ombudsman, has been honoured with the Order of Ikhamanga (silver) during one of media’s most difficult times.

Afghan war photos: Contrasting views

The L.A. Times’ recent front page story and photos on U.S. troops posing with body parts of Afghan insurgents prompted thousands of online comments, and hundreds of phone calls, emails and letters to the editor this week.

Reaction ranged from outrage to praise. The debate was especially vigorous in the military community.

Busting the news?

NewsBusters, which describes itself as devoted to “exposing & combating liberal media bias,” charges PBS NewsHour senior correspondent and Washington Week moderator Gwen Ifill with a journalistic misdeed.

Are newspapers sexy?

John Hamer of the Washington News Council is having second thoughts about his “snarky” blog post about the Newspaper Association of America’s new advertising campaign.

About all that war buzz

Readers react to New York Times Public Editor Arthur Brisbane’s recent column (“Lessons from another war”) in which he discussed concerns about the Times falling for the narrative of war in its coverage of Iran’s nuclear program.