Everyone is biased. Some, perhaps, more than others. Describing a newspaper as "biased" really means you're claiming that it has a bias stronger than can be justified in its context. A couple of examples:
* Most people have this (oh so weird) notion that it's better to live than to die. There's a few who disagree. To be unbiased, does a newspaper have to have 50% of articles advocating suicide?
* In a time of war, most citizens will love their own country and hate the enemy. Does an unbiased newspaper have to carry 50-50 articles in favour of the enemy?
* Here in Melbourne, a number of people are satisfied with the public transport network, but some are not. Which is more biased? To print only the letters which commend the system? To print only those which condemn it? To print exactly the same number of each, each publication?
* Ever since party politics began, the Liberals and Conservatives (whatever be their names in any particular context) have vied for power. Sometimes there's a major shift one way or another, but mostly it stays within cooee of balanced. Is a newspaper allowed to print five times as many of one side than the other?
Some of these questions are obvious. Some, perhaps, less so. Overall, though, I believe that a report purporting to be universal MUST respect the RFCs of society.


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