Does the truth always have to be "fair and balanced"?

[kentuck]

Do facts have to have 2 sides? Can some stories simply be black or white? Is there ambiguity even in the most obvious facts? Must we have one side and then the other side on every story? For example, the media may report that Bush broke the law and it seems obvious to us. However, someone else may say that he had the constitutional "authority" to spy on whomever he wished? WMDs is another example where no WMDs were found but the media never explains that point in black and white. They may say somethng like, most people think they had the WMDs but moved them to Syria or neighboring country? Is it fair to report on facts in such a "fair and balanced" way?

[Nutmegger]

1. Facts are straight forward

The rest of POV.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. That's how the media manipulate us all.

[Ron Green]

3. HELL NO! The truth is the truth.

This is the crap that RW media use to push their BS agenda. Through fear-mongering and propaganda, the middle has been pushed so far to the right that what would seem a reasonable call for "balance" is actually an extreme point of view posited against a reasonable one.

[we can do it]

4. oh - I Thought They Said Fairly Imbalanced

That explains it then.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. There is the truth, and there is not the truth.

Either something is a fact or it isn't. If something is a provable fact, there's no "other side."

[Orangepeel]

6. the media willfully misunderstands the idea of "balance"

at least where Democrats are concerned. They treat the idea as if it meant "when you say something bad about Republicans, you have to say something bad about Democrats, too."

Whereas it should mean that you try to use the same standards to decide whether or not something is a story.

[Crunchy Frog]

7. "Fair and balanced" has absolutely nothing to do with the truth.

Facts are facts and should be presented as such, with as much accuracy and impariality as possible. "Fair and balanced" is opinions and belongs in editorializing, not in news reporting.

[cyclezealot]

8. Fair and balanced went out with the Equal TIme requirement.

That Reagan did in in the 80'2. now they just manipulate the news by either censorship or shouting down those not favored by the media. Then slander when those being slandered are not present.

[Selatius]

9. What is the saying among statisticians?

"Figures don't lie, but liars figure."

You can cook any set of facts to make your argument appear reasonable, but that only applies if you selectively choose facts to support your case and omit others that may contradict it. A reasonable approach would be to gather as much information as possible before making a decision, a decision that's hopefully made with respect to the information and not despite it.

[Catchawave]

10. Didn't Fox News Channel invent this phrase ?

What a joke. I have no respect for anybody/human/pundit or otherwise who associates themselves with these freeps.

[The2ndWheel]

11. It all depends on who you are

It's become a catch phrase at this point, but one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. One man's CEO, is another man's slave owner. One man's environmentalist, is another man's lazy non-productive tree hugger.

So yes, every story will have at least 2 sides. It always has, does, and always will. It was so before Fox News, it is so during, and will be so after.

[StClone]

12. Winger Facts require Quantum Truth

Have you noticed that even with known facts wingers believe a special Quantum Mechanics of truth is required to understand what to us is plainly true? The observer (usually a Freeper) is required with very special instruments (Right wing commentators) to reveal facts that change with the very act of them observing them.

[longship]

13. This is how you do it.

First, you repeal the "balance in media" act.

Then, with the media totally unaccountable to any balance whatsoever, present all issues as if there were still a "balance in media" act. Only it's a fake balance, a contrived dichotomy where all issues are presented under a rubric of dualism, two positions to every issue. And both sides of the story are given equal weighting regardless of whether one side is patently ridiculous and counter to known fact.

That's how it's done, folks, in news as entertainment, America.