Bias and spin
The nutshell
Bias is when a news source leans one way. Spin is presenting true facts in a way that points to one view.
Every fact on this page comes from the UK's official regulators, Parliament's research team and a non-partisan fact-checking charity. Each source tag — like Ofcom — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What bias means
Bias is a lean. A news source shows bias when it reports one side of a story more warmly than the other, or leaves out facts that help the other side. Bias is not the same as an honest mistake — it is a steady tilt in one direction.
What spin means
Spin means presenting true facts in a way that leads to one view. The House of Commons Library describes spin as drawing conclusions from figures that the figures alone do not support.HoC Spin does not have to use false facts. It can pick which true facts to show, and how to present each fact.
The rules are not the same for everyone
In the UK, TV and radio news must by law be impartial. Ofcom's Broadcasting Code says news must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.Ofcom Newspapers work under a different system. Most join a voluntary regulator, IPSO or Impress, and this system does not require a newspaper to be impartial.HoC So a newspaper is allowed to back one side.
How to spot it
One way to check a claim is to look for the facts behind it. Full Fact, an independent fact-checking charity, checks claims made by politicians and the media, does not take sides, and links the sources behind each check.FF Reading more than one source helps a reader see where a story leans.
- Impartial TV and radio news gives every viewer the same set of facts to start from
- A free press that is allowed to take sides lets many different views be argued out in public
- Ofcom's public rules mean a complaint about biased broadcast news can be checked
- Judging what counts as fair balance between two sides is not always simple
- A newspaper that backs one side can leave out facts that help the other side
- Spotting spin takes time and care that a quick reader may not spend
The deep end6 min
Two systems, two sets of rules
The UK treats broadcast news and the press in different ways. Broadcast news is regulated by Ofcom. Rule 5.1 of its Broadcasting Code says news must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Rule 5.5 says due impartiality on matters of political controversy must be preserved, with a wide range of views given due weight.Ofcom Due impartiality does not mean equal time for every view. It means treatment that is adequate to the subject.
The press works under voluntary self-regulation. Most newspapers join IPSO or Impress, some join neither, and this system sets no duty of impartiality.HoC A newspaper is free to argue for one side, so long as it follows its regulator's rules on accuracy.
How spin works
Spin usually starts from true facts. The House of Commons Library describes spin as drawing conclusions from figures that the figures alone do not support, or presenting figures so an audience is led to draw those conclusions.HoCA common move is to give a big number with no comparison, or a percentage with no base. A fact can be correct and still leave a misleading impression.
Checking for a lean
Spotting bias and spin takes a few habits. Full Fact, the UK's independent fact-checking charity, checks claims from politicians and the media, states that it does not take sides, and links the sources behind every check so a reader can look for the facts directly.FF Comparing how two outlets report the same event can show where each one leans. Following a figure back to its original source shows whether the number really says what a report claims.