As the BBC observes, ‘defining impartiality is easy … it means reflecting all sides of arguments and not favouring any side’.1 But what this looks like in practice can become complicated as journalists grapple with different topics, public debates, and ways of presenting engaging news. Moreover, many newspapers across the world have long had a clear editorial stance and, in the US, Fox News has demonstrated how money can be made from catering to partisan audiences in broadcast. Meanwhile, the BBC has renewed its commitment to impartial journalism, as have some commercial news media, such as Reuters. But partisan viewpoints are now more accessible than ever, especially online, and they can be attractive to audiences. This all raises the question: how important is impartial and objective journalism to audiences?
Full report:https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2021/impartiality-unpacked-study-four-countries
