“One who spends time to learn anything generally comes up with a boring and moderate perspective on the issue, as they tend to come to a balanced perspective”
Mission:
- Well-Informed Readers: Both Sides provides comprehensive summaries of the varying perspectives and evidence around significant issues, empowering readers to develop well-informed opinions.
- Balanced Information: We believe that the best way to provide balanced reporting is by summarizing the core arguments and evidence from all perspectives.
- Fundamental Questions: We focus on core societal issues, covering the topics and questions that truly matter.
- Breaking Bubbles: We expose readers to diverse viewpoints, challenging information bubbles and promoting understanding and respect for differing opinions.
Why Both Sides:
At Both Sides, we are committed to the principle that being well-informed is the cornerstone of forming rational opinions and is essential for a functioning society. Yet, we recognize that mainstream news and social media, in their quest to capture and maintain attention, have often fallen short in aiding their audience to escape their own biases and become truly knowledgeable. Their shortcomings are evident in several ways:
- Prioritizing content that incites anger and outrage over that which fosters understanding and knowledge.
- Bombarding viewers with trivial details, while portraying every issue as critical.
- Encouraging echo chambers and confirmation bias through selective reporting.
- Utilizing sensationalist "clickbait" headlines that misrepresent the content.
Civil discourse and intelligent debate are impossible when individuals are exposed only to news that reinforces their preconceived notions and biases.
While some media outlets have endeavored to be "unbiased" and offer fact-checking services, we believe these efforts have not fully addressed the fundamental problems plaguing news media. Achieving complete objectivity is a challenging, if not impossible task, and these platforms often inadvertently reflect the biases of their creators. Moreover, audiences tend to distrust these sources, especially when the information presented conflicts with their established beliefs. Bias is a human trait that is easily spotted in others, yet seldom fully acknowledged in oneself.
Both Sides is taking a new approach, aiming to provide a more effective way for our audience to understand the world.
How Both Sides Works
Both Sides is a unique initiative that aims to present a balanced view of important debates by summarizing the core questions, arguments, and evidence from different knowledgeable perspectives. Instead of focusing on sensationalism or bias, our goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.
Every two weeks, we select a new topic and create an outline of the essential information that readers need to grasp the subject and its various viewpoints. This information is organized into key questions related to the topic, with corresponding information presented in two columns beneath each question. Each column represents a distinct side of the debate, providing a clear and organized comparison of the differing perspectives. In addition to the main content, we also provide footnotes that offer additional context to the topics discussed in the article. These footnotes serve to deepen the reader's understanding and provide further insight into the complexities of the debate.
Our mission is to expose readers to balanced information, including arguments and evidence that may challenge their existing beliefs. We believe that by doing so, we can help individuals form more well-informed views. This approach not only promotes personal growth, but also fosters healthier discussions among those with differing opinions. By providing a platform for understanding and respect, we aim to contribute to a more informed and open-minded society.