News Health: Why Share Both Sides?

Happy Sunday,

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

James 1:19-20

“Why share both sides when one is wrong?”
This is the most common question we’ve received since writing about Alex Pretti’s death in Minneapolis. (And, as is typical for us, we heard it from both sides.)

For some, the presence of the opposing narrative feels like a tacit endorsement of falsehood—that we’re putting truth and lies on equal footing and acting as if it’s a toss-up as to which is correct.

So, let me explain three convictions that drive our reporting of divisive events:

1. The commentary is part of the event: Oftentimes, what each side is saying is a big part of the story itself. In these cases, helping someone understand what is happening requires faithfully explaining both sides.

2. Understanding is needed for healing: We believe that explaining what both sides are saying—in a way each would affirm is accurate—helps everyone better understand and ultimately love others. 

3. TPO has a narrow lane: We write concise summaries of publicly available information. We are not investigative journalists with first-hand information to add. As such, we summarize both sides of a dispute, link to outside sources (including first-hand evidence*), and trust in our readers’ discernment. 

I want to be clear that these are convictions we have for The Pour Over as a news organization. But neutrality is often not the correct response for a follower of Christ. 

Over the last week, I’ve had conversations with friends, family, and coworkers about Alex Pretti’s death, and those conversations have not been neutral. I’ve prayed, and my prayers were not neutral. However, my conversations and prayers benefited from having a foundational, neutral understanding of what both sides are thinking and feeling.

TPO is not advocating for lukewarmness or indifference, but we are committed to neutral reporting.

What do you think?
Jason Woodruff

*We did not link video footage showing Alex Pretti being killed, but made clear that footage was widely available.

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