FAIRNESS AND BALANCE OF SELECTED NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF CONTROVERSIAL NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL-ISSUES

This study developed a content-based technique of assessing fairness a nd balance of newspaper coverage of controversial issues and applied i t to 259 stories on eighteen issues appearing in eighteen newspapers d uring February 1991. The study found that on average one side dominate d st least three of the six story qualities assessed. Only 7% of the s tories were evenly balanced, while more than 50% of the stories had at least four of the six story qualities dominated by one side. Three is sues involving abortion and two involving local schools were the mast imbalanced. The Gulf War debate was the most imbalanced national issue .