Political news is information about the actions of governmental agencies, elected officials or the people who run them. It can be about local, state or national politics, as well as international politics. Political news covers all aspects of government, including budgets, legislation and regulations. It can also include news about elections and public opinion. It can be a source of debate about current events and politics and it can be used as a tool to educate citizens.
In recent years, a wide range of news media have offered a multitude of ways to get political information. Long gone are the days when a few network news channels or newspaper and magazine publishers controlled all the political information available. Now, a typical citizen can customize his or her own news feed with RSS feeds and other news aggregators and can access a vast quantity of user-generated content on personal websites, blogs and social networking sites.
Journalists who report on politics have been accused of partisan bias. They are also criticized for failing to meet conventional standards of journalism such as objectivity, impartiality and plurality. However, these traditional journalistic standards are rooted in fundamental democratic principles.
It is important for journalists to be aware of the potential for spreading misinformation when reporting on political issues. For example, if an official or politician says something that is not true, the journalist should correct the false statement. They should also be careful not to present two sides of an issue that has more evidence on one side than the other. This practice is known as false balance or false equivalency and can be harmful to society.
About the Author
