Beth Rauch

7/27/2020 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing | Write Aroono       Write Aroono  Write life. Let's create. Home » Writing For The Web » 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing WRITING FOR THE WEB 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing Search …  C AT E G O R I E S by Beth Rauch | Published June 27, 2020 In today’s high-voltage world of journalism, blogging, article writing, and “fake news,” it is important to make sure your content is bias free. Here are seven tips on how to avoid bias in your writing. 4TH OF JULY FATHER'S DAY IMPROVING YOUR PROSE MAKING AN INCOME MARKETING & PUBLISHING NEWS TIPS, TRICKS, & TOOLS UNCATEGORIZED WRITING FOR THE WEB WRITING SCREENPLAYS R E C E N T P O STS Top 3 Free Online Writing Prompt Generators How to Cra a Descriptive Car in 1 Paragraph Writing Redemption Arcs for Your Story’s Villain Writing without bias presents both sides of the same coin. Photo by Peter Lawrence on Unsplash Writing Portfolio Sites for Your Freelancing Work Breaking Down an A+ College Paper in 5 Sections Avoiding bias in your writing, especially journalistic or academic forms of writing, is important. It shows your readers you are sensitive to topics and labels that cause concern in today’s high-voltage news climate. It also shows that you can look at both sides of an issue and begin writing about it without pushing your view of the situation onto someone else. Here are seven tips to help you avoid bias in your writing so you may present arguments and viewpoints that meets everyone’s expectations. M O ST P O P U L A R P O STS Author’s Dilemma: Should I Kill This Character? Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/7-tips-on-how-to-avoid-bias-in-your-writing/ 1/5 7/27/2020 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing | Write Aroono Tip #1: Always Use Third Person Point Of View To avoid bias in your writing, always use the third person point of view. First-person plural pronouns, such as “we,” “our,” and “us,” should be reserved for fiction writing. These pronouns give the impression that you and your audience have had the same experience and came to the same conclusion. This is not always the case. Use third-person pronouns Top 3 Write Articles of the Week: July 5 3 Essential Tips For Writing A Good Short Story 3 Ways to Market Yourself as a Freelance Writer 5 Screenwriting Competitions to Enter in your writing instead. B E ST O F A R O O N O Example: Biased: We think it is important to wear masks during this pandemic. Unbiased: The CDC thinks it is important to wear masks during this pandemic. Jesus Broke the Chains of Racism 2,000 Years Ago A Reluctant Beginner’s Guide Tip #2: When Making Comparisons, Use Words That Do Not Reflect Your Feelings to Social Media 3 Ways to Tell If It’s Love or Abuse 3 World War II Biography Books to Read Compare and contrast pieces can be filled with bias if you are not careful. You need to 3 Models That Remind Us choose the words you use in your writing so that the reader does not feel like they are Black Is Beautiful reading your personal opinions. Words like “bad,” “better than,” “worse than,” “normal,” “ordinary” and so on, present the reader with your bias. Instead, use words or phrases that put the two things you are comparing on equal footing. Use facts instead of feelings when comparing things in your writing. Ubiso Removes Three Executives A er Allegations 3 Magnificent Madison Museums to Explore in WI How to Make Your Dragon: A Example: Biased: The New England Patriots have 6 Super Bowl rings, which is better than the Dallas Cowboys. Unbiased: The New England Patriots have 6 Super Bowl rings, which is one more than the Dallas Cowboys. Writing Guide To Click or Not To Click: Do We Risk Alienation? 3 True Crime Documentaries to Stream on Netflix Tip #3: Be Specific When Writing About A Group Of People When writing about groups of people, you can avoid bias by being as specific as possible. Use age ranges instead of a general term (“aged 65 and over” vs. “senior citizens”). Use the specific culture or ethnicity. Use male or female. The more specific you are in your writing, the less chance there is of your reader misunderstanding the group you are talking about and taking o ense. Example: Biased: The group was made up of senior citizens. Unbiased: The group was made up of women 65 to 70. Tip #4: Name The Person You Are Speaking About First And Then The Describing Adjective As writers, we sometimes describe people using the adjective first and the noun. For example, we will write “the disabled person” or “the deaf person.” This is biased because we are reducing the person to their disability or descriptive trait. To avoid this in your writing, refer to the person first and then use the descriptor. Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/7-tips-on-how-to-avoid-bias-in-your-writing/ 2/5 7/27/2020 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing | Write Aroono Example: Bias: The deaf man uses sign language to communicate. Unbiased: The man with a hearing disability uses sign language to communicate. Tip #5: Go Gender Neutral Instead of using man or woman to denote a person in your writing, avoid bias by using gender neutral designations. Example: Bias: The mailman dropped o a package. Unbiased: The mail carrier dropped o a package. Tip #6: Use An Inclusive Personal Pronoun Unless you are specifically writing about someone and you know their preferred personal pronoun, use an inclusive pronoun in your writing. The conversation of preferred personal pronouns is continuously developing, and you do not want to come across as bias by using the wrong one, even if it is in error. “They” and “their” can be used as singular and plural pronouns. Example: Bias: The student was encouraged to turn in her project. Unbiased: The student was encouraged to turn in their project. Tip #7: Do Not Assume You Know A Person’s Gender When you use a person’s name in your writing, you may use “he” or “she” so you are not typing the name over and over. However, you cannot assume that you know a person’s gender is you are not told beforehand. Michael could be a woman’s name or Devan a man’s. Instead of showing bias, try to avoid gendered pronouns in your writing. Example: Bias: Award-winning photojournalist M.C. Warner liked his fish and chips with malt vinegar. Unbiased: Award-winning photojournalist M.C. Warner liked the fish and chips with malt vinegar. By keeping bias out of your writing, you will deliver richer content that will appeal to a wider audience. It will also show your audience that you can look at both sides of an issue objectively and keep your own feelings out of the mix. Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/7-tips-on-how-to-avoid-bias-in-your-writing/ 3/5 7/27/2020 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing | Write Aroono        bias gender Tips and Tricks unbiased Writing Beth Rauch AUTHOR Born and raised in upstate New York, with a brief and very influential stint living in Great Britain, Beth A. Freely Rauch calls Texas her home with her husband Daniel, daughter Caitlyn and cats, Peanut Butter and Toast. Beth has 14 years of writing experience as a copywriter and published author. She enjoys shooting pool, working a haunted house during Halloween, and comic book hero movies. She is also a managing partner of Stoney Hollow Paints, a horse ranch in Texas specializing in showing and breeding Paint horses. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Media Communication with a minor in Marketing as well as a Master’s Degree in English and Creative Writing. Beth is the author of "Behind The Eyes of Dorian Gray" and co-author of "The Legend of Captain St. Pierre." She is currently working to complete her third novel, "The Loch." 13 POSTS YOU MAY ALSO LIKE   Published June 2, 2020 Published May 29, 2020 This Is Why You Should Start A Journal 5 Things To Remember When Writing for the Web 1 comment Privacy - Terms https://write.aroono.com/2020/bafrauch/7-tips-on-how-to-avoid-bias-in-your-writing/ 4/5 7/27/2020 7 Tips On How To Avoid Bias In Your Writing | Write Aroono Leave a comment Your email address will not be published. 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