Reputable news sources should have an established editing process, including verifying facts before publishing and correcting errors (Caulfield, 2017). Publications also often have a code of ethics that includes principles such as accuracy, fairness, avoiding conflicts of interest, and transparency (SPJ, 2014). For examples of these policies, see the Wall Street Journal Newsroom Standards & Ethics or the Washington Post verification and fact-checking standards.
Outlets that follow journalistic standards can still be geared towards one end of the political spectrum to meet the ideologies of their readers or viewers. Research a news outlet with one of the techniques on our Evaluating Sources guide, like reading about it on Wikipedia or a website that evaluates media for bias and accuracy.
If you’re concerned that an article you’re reading is biased, look for coverage on that topic from other reputable news sources.