Beware of False Balance

A decision by the NZ Press Council this week is a timely reminder to news media to be wary of lobbyists attempting to hijack the concept of balance.

An article titled Focus on Fluoride Fears, published last month by Sun Media, was the subject of a successful complaint to the Press Council for presenting a view that is contrary to that held by the vast majority of dental health professionals.

Daniel Ryan, president of Making Sense of Fluoride, welcomes the Press Council ruling and encourages the media to not present what he calls ‘false balance’.

‘I understand that journalists often feel they need to present two sides to a story’, says Ryan. ‘But that can be a dangerous trap; reporters should not give equal weight to both sides of an argument when one side is factually incorrect.’

He notes the criticism levelled recently at Radio NZ for airing anti-vaccine views when the story being reported was supposed to be about a measles outbreak. ‘Unfortunately journalists are under deadline pressure and they’re not always scientifically literate. Lobbyists are often quite skilled at presenting their message in a way that seems convincing, but actually is not backed up by evidence. We see it time and time again – climate change is another classic example.’

Mr Ryan urges senior news managers to take these recent incidents seriously, and to help their staff find reliable sources of factual information. ‘In these days of instant but often inaccurate information, it’s more important than ever that journalists thoroughly understand that balance is not the same as truth.’

Press Council ruling:
http://www.presscouncil.org.nz/rulings/sarah-bronte-against-sunlive

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