both-sidesism
Artificial equivalence fallacy
Both-sidesism is the practice of presenting opposing viewpoints as equally valid regardless of their actual merit—a critique of journalism and discourse that treats balance as an end in itself.
The term is usually pejorative, suggesting false equivalence: The article's both-sidesism gave equal weight to climate scientists and industry-funded skeptics.
Critics argue this approach prioritizes superficial fairness over truth.
In-group loyalty, out-group hostility
- partisanshipLoyalty to one faction
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
- dualismPhilosophy of opposed pairs
- entrenchmentFortified or fixed position
Freedom from prejudice
- nonpartisanshipAbsence of party affiliation
- objectivityFreedom from personal bias
- evenhandednessUnbiased, balanced judgment
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
detachment · disinterest · balance · equidistance · dispassion · fence-sitting · centrism · moderation
Ambiguous language avoiding commitment
- whataboutismDeflecting criticism through counter-accusation
- relativismContext-dependent truth doctrine
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- cherry-pickingChoosing only supporting examples
distortion · misrepresentation · oversimplification · deflection
Contradictory claims without proof
- stenographyCompressed symbolic writing system
- overcorrectionExcessive corrective action
tribalism
In-group loyalty, out-group hostility
- partisanshipLoyalty to one faction
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
- dualismPhilosophy of opposed pairs
impartiality
Freedom from prejudice
- nonpartisanshipAbsence of party affiliation
- objectivityFreedom from personal bias
- evenhandednessUnbiased, balanced judgment
fairness · detachment · disinterest · balance · equidistance · dispassion · fence-sitting · centrism · moderation · independence
equivocation
Ambiguous language avoiding commitment
- whataboutismDeflecting criticism through counter-accusation
- relativismContext-dependent truth doctrine
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
cherry-picking · distortion · misrepresentation · oversimplification · deflection
normalization
Adjusting to a standard
he-said-she-said
Contradictory claims without proof
- stenographyCompressed symbolic writing system
- overcorrectionExcessive corrective action
both-sidesismtruth-telling
Communicating only facts
investigative journalism · advocacy journalism · watchdog journalism · opinion journalism
both-sidesismobjectivity
Freedom from personal bias
factual accuracy · truth-seeking · empiricism · intellectual honesty · fact-checking
both-sidesismmoral clarity
Unambiguous sense of right
conviction · partisanship · intellectual courage · moral courage · one-sidedness
both, side, sides, sided, siding, sidelong, sideways, sidewise, beside