Wikipedia:Guide to addressing bias: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:12, 5 June 2023

Revision as of 18:33, 5 June 2023

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===Journalistic neutrality vs encyclopedic neutrality===

{{see also|User:MjolnirPants/Academic Neutrality}}

In [[journalism]], neutrality is generally seen to be met by giving all sides of an issue equal treatment. This is the view that has come to be held as the most neutral view by the populace at large as well, due to the fact that the larger population is exposed more to journalism than any other form of documentary media. The reason journalists use this form is because it removes the writer from any 'side' of a controversy, while allowing them to craft a compelling story. Without conflict, after all, you can't have a story. An often-used shorthand for this approach to neutrality is to say that a truly neutral work is one in which you can't tell which side the author supports. The general public may broadly regard this approach as the most neutral, perhaps partly because the larger population is exposed more to journalism than any other form of documentary media.

For an encyclopedia however, this approach to neutrality has a number of problems. Encyclopedias are a compendium and summary of accepted human knowledge. Their purpose is not to provide compelling and interesting articles, but to provide ''accurate'' and ''verifiable'' information.