Want to be a journalist and have readers turn to you to find out what is going on in the world today? But, wait, don’t journalists have a reputation for bending the truth to make a better story? Can and should journalists be trusted?

Do you trust journalists?

We get it, a select few journalists sometimes get their bad rep from twisting the truth for their gain. But while readers love to hate clickbait stories, then the cycle will keep on repeating.

As a journalist or a journalism student with a genuine interest in your journalistic category, do you find yourself analysing every word you read, trying to work out the writer’s angle? If so, then we hate to tell you that you are not giving the journalism industry due respect.

Being a journalist is a tough job to fill, as you’ll soon know, if you don’t already! Not only do you have to quickly familiarise yourself with a whole load of new information, but you also have to try to relate to the audience as you discuss this brand new topic. So next time, when reading any kind of text, from fiction to investigative journalism, don’t let your intrusive thoughts interrupt the flow – take a leap into the unknown and allow the writer to do their job, which is to tell a story.

Even in the world of sports, it can be challenging for journalists to keep perspective. For sports journalism courses, see institutions like https://schoolofjournalism.co.uk/journalism-courses/sports/ who can assist with common issues such as impartiality.

How to ensure readers trust you

Everybody is biased – our personal experiences can change the way we look at the world, thus affecting a journalist’s take on reality.

Even though you are encouraged to remove personal bias as a professional journalist, you should also be confident in challenging both your beliefs as well as others to offer up a balanced and trustworthy piece of writing without forcing a specific narrative on readers.

No journalist is perfect, but what they all share in common is the desire to inform.