When writing about political news, journalist need to consider the different views on an issue and how they can be presented. A good way to do this is by using the inverted pyramid style of writing, with the most important facts at the top of the story. A good political story will also include the opinions of politicians and other experts.
It’s important that journalists take care not to spread misinformation in their reporting. This is often done by presenting both sides of an argument, even when one side has more evidence than the other. This is called false balance or false equivalency, and it can be harmful to society. When journalists see an official or politician spreading misinformation, they should be quick to correct it. For example, if an official says something about a health risk that’s not true, a journalist should report this and then immediately tell the truth. This will help to keep the public informed.
Political journalism can be used to inform citizens about government policies and to encourage participation in democratic societies. Theories of political news-making postulate that the media serve specific functional roles in a democracy, such as recording events and reflecting the opinion of the population, acting as a watchdog to disclose political misbehavior, and facilitating public discourse and participation. These functions are best performed under conditions of press freedom, which entails freedom from censorship, plurality of sources, and open access for all citizens.