The practice of presenting all sides of an issue in a way that reflects their relative importance and relevance.
Ethics: This is the foundational topic when it comes to understanding balance in journalism. It involves the principles and values that guide reporters and editors as they gather and report news.
Objectivity: Objectivity is a key aspect of balance in journalism. It refers to the impartiality and neutrality of reporters and editors as they cover news stories.
Bias: It is important for journalists to recognize and address any biases they may have that could potentially impact how they report on a story.
Fairness: Fairness involves giving all sides of a story equal consideration and ensuring that no one is unfairly represented or marginalized.
Diversity: Diversity is important for balance in journalism. It refers to the inclusion of different perspectives, voices, and experiences in news reporting.
Editorial independence: Journalists must have the freedom to report news without interference from politicians, advertisers, or other outside sources.
Newsroom culture: The culture of a newsroom can influence how journalists approach balance and ethical considerations in reporting.
Fact-checking and accuracy: Fact-checking and accuracy are necessary for ensuring that news stories are correct and free from errors.
Sensationalism: Sensationalism is the use of exaggerated or inflammatory language or reporting to attract attention. It can compromise balance and ethics in journalism.
Confidential sources: Journalists must balance the need to protect the identities of confidential sources with the importance of transparency and accuracy in reporting.
Conflict of interest: Journalists must be aware of and avoid conflicts of interest that could compromise their reporting and perceived credibility.
Accountability: Journalists and news organizations must be accountable to readers and viewers for the accuracy and impartiality of their reporting.
Audience engagement: Audience engagement is important for balance in journalism, as it allows journalists to better understand the needs and expectations of their readers and viewers.
Social media: Social media has changed the way journalists report, and it is important for journalists to understand how to use it in a way that maintains balance and ethical standards.
Legal and ethical issues: Journalists must have a basic understanding of legal and ethical obligations when it comes to reporting, especially in areas such as privacy and defamation.
Fairness balance: This refers to giving equal weight and consideration to all sides of an issue in coverage.
Proportional balance: This is a type of balance that ensures that the amount of coverage provided to each side of a debate or issue is in proportion to their significance or representation.
Contextual balance: This is a type of balance that ensures that a story is presented in the wider context in which it occurred, to enable readers to better understand the relevant issues.
Temporal balance: This refers to providing balance and context over time, depending on the significance of the story.
Balance of interest: This is concerned with the balance between public interest and private interest, and aims to ensure that personal considerations do not arise in reporting, where the public interest is at stake.
Legal balance: This involves a journalist trying to balance his or her coverage with legal constraints around privacy, defamation, and the like.
Commercial balance: This seeks to achieve a balance between commercial considerations and ideals, ensuring that the news is objective and factual and not used to promote commercial interests.
Professional balance: This is a focus on striking a balance between a journalist's responsibility to inform the public and uphold journalistic standards while at the same time maintain good relationships with sources and avoiding the risks of litigation.
Moral balance: This is about balancing ethical obligations, such as honesty and objectivity, over other concerns that may arise in a particular story.
Political balance: This is concerned with securing balance by including all sides of the political spectrum or in relation to a particular policy.
Cultural balance: This involves striving to provide balance in stories linked to differing cultural norms or practices.
Gender balance: This involves taking into account efforts to address gender bias and ensure that both sexes are fairly and equally represented in stories.