Balance and objectivity are often seen as the hallmarks of good journalism – that is, information is presented in an impartial way without bias or emotion. In news, feature or magazine articles, the journalist should let readers make up their own mind about an issue, rather than trying to influence their decisions or opinions.

It is good practice to interview several sources for an article, and to ensure that varying points of view are presented. Where opinion and evidence are divided, having a ‘balanced’ article means presenting each side.

But remember, the different points of view may not be equal. Sometimes, the weight of evidence may be strongly on one side of an issue. In such cases, a balanced article does not mean giving equal weight to both sides. This skews the information by making it appear that both sides are equally well supported by the evidence. For example, giving equal space to anti-evolution beliefs in every article about evolution would actually create an imbalance of information.

If you do want to acknowledge the other side of a well-evidenced story, explain how these beliefs are not considered compelling by the majority of experts and why.