Journalists and reporters are often criticized for being biased because of their own opinions. Despite the goal to report news fairly, each person on a news staff comes into the story with opinions and prejudice to some degree. Some people are actually looking for raw news to analyze, while others would rather see the perspective of individuals reporting the news.

There is a difference between “news” and “opinion,” but it is not always easy to see when one crosses the line. News, by definition, usually is sourced from outlets like television, newspapers, radio, magazines and social media. It is supposed to be written factually, not from an individual’s perspective but for people to perceive based on facts.

Opinion, on the other hand, is what people think about that news and the information that is shared. For example, one person would think that being in quarantine is a good idea for people’s health and safety, while another thinks it’s a terrible idea, basing that judgment on other factors, like economy and mental health. Both viewpoints have support, and both can be based in facts, but there is a level of opinion that is sometimes passed off as news.

News should be a reliable and stable source of information, not processed through the lens of emotion. That processing should be the responsibility of the consumer who has the opportunity to form opinions based on that information.