Balance; a tricky thing in modern life. How can you spin all
of those plates without letting them crash to the floor?
It should not, however, be a tricky thing for journalists. Balance is the foundation upon which our objectivity is based, and omitting it from
our work undermines what we do and is a leading reason we are
perceived as so
untrustworthy in society.
Two stories have failed to demonstrate this today. They are
very different and have diverse audiences, but fundamentally failed to provide
contextual information to help readers and listeners make informed judgement.
The first came on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning
when GQ editor Dylan Jones was brought in to discuss the cover photograph of Jeremy
Corbyn. What he did was take the opportunity to lambast the Labour
leader for being demanding, weak, and, in essence, a fraud.
That is entirely Jones’s right. However, what Today failed
to do was contextualise his comments. Dylan Jones is a vocal supporter of the
Conservative Party and his criticism of Corbyn must be placed within that
context.
GQ’s coverage has been so Tory-focussed in the past decade
that, when presenting an award at the magazines’ Men of the Year, Noel
Gallagher quipped: “Welcome to the Tory Party conference”.
Jones denies this and claims that the awards just mirror public opinion.
The second came in a completely difference setting when the BBC Sport website reported that 1966 World Cup winner Gordon Banks was offering significant criticism of current ‘keeper Joe Hart.
The second came in a completely difference setting when the BBC Sport website reported that 1966 World Cup winner Gordon Banks was offering significant criticism of current ‘keeper Joe Hart.
No problem there. Banks is a legend, Hart has been having
significant difficulties in the past three years, and people are entitled to
their opinions.
The lack of balance came when Banks went on to sing the
praises of Jack Butland. Again, he is entitled to do so but the reporter, when
writing the story, needs to find time to point out that Banks is a Stoke legend –
who actually wore a Stoke City tie to the World Cup draw today – and Butland is
the current Stoke keeper.
It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of it but balance
begins with providing contextual information. We’re not making readers’ minds
up, we’re providing fair and objective reporting.
My colleagues and I plead for balance in our students' work but how will our pleas be heard if they are not seeing it in much of the industry?
My colleagues and I plead for balance in our students' work but how will our pleas be heard if they are not seeing it in much of the industry?
