Bias and trust.

• Author: Mildenberg, David

Well, our magazine made it through another month without The Brass paying any critics $787 million. Let's count that as a success.

Seriously, the settlement of a much-publicized defamation lawsuit in mid-April raised important issues on how the media operates in 2023. My sense is that most readers don't care about the inner workings of the news business. But hang with me to consider a few key issues. We know having readers' trust is important.

Credibility based on a pursuit of accuracy is the most important concern, of course. If the sky is Carolina Blue, but we report that it is Wolfpack Red to curry favor with the N.C. State University crowd, it's a problem. Especially if someone finds an email saying I'm fibbing to get tight with the Raleigh crowd.

Breathe easy, this magazine has never intentionally lied about Red versus Blue, or anything else, based on pure bias. Seems like a low bar, but it's a different age. Everyone has biases because of their life experience. But our predecessors made an effort to tell the story straight, despite outside pressure. We try to continue that tradition.

It can get cloudy because of economics, however. In the 1980s journalism world, dominant media companies were among the most lucrative businesses in their communities. It wasn't cigarettes or soft drinks, but a monopoly local newspaper or TV station was golden. Today, most for-profit media groups operate on much thinner margins, while many news groups operate with subsidies from foundations, advocacy groups, wealthy individuals or government entities. They understandably have biases. (Business North Carolina's owner is a closely held, for-profit business.)

Given the economic pressures, it's impressive to see news organizations produce well-reported stories that challenge powerful institutions, whether one agrees with the coverage or not. Recent examples include private-equity-owned McClatchy's series of stories criticizing North Carolina's giant poultry...