Glossary
False balance
Treating two positions as equally credible — even when the evidence strongly favors one — in the name of "both sides" coverage.
Classic example: climate-change coverage that gives equal time to mainstream scientists and a handful of contrarians, implying the question is open when the empirical consensus is overwhelming. False balance is well-intentioned (don't take sides) but misleading (the evidence isn't balanced). The opposite failure is *unbalanced* coverage that doesn't even acknowledge a real opposing argument exists. Skilled editorial judgment threads the needle: present opposing views *proportionally* to their actual evidentiary weight. See also: framing.
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