Avoiding bias in writing is one of my top priorities. To avoid bias in writing you have to be aware of you're own bias and other peoples when reporting on an issue. 

   I think the hardest thing is knowing other peoples bias when reporting on an issue. I try and talk to several people making sure that I have a complete understanding of what happened at an event before covering it. I think its important to get to know who your talking to and know a bit about their background.

    I avoid bias in my writing by not generalizing things, like making sure not to make a hasty generalization. Sometimes it can just happen by accident. I avoid this issue by asking other editors to read my stories. I go over my own things several times to make sure I don't generalize anything. I think this is one of the easiest bias things to do, and it can happen by total accident without realizing it.  

   I also make sure if there's something I want to mention I have evidence or a quote on it if there's not I don't cover it in the story at all. If there is not a quote or anything to back it up it shouldn't make it into the story at all. 

   Every journalist has their own personal thoughts on a situation before reporting on it, our job though is to show both sides. When the yearbook gets into topics that are usually more political is where a lot of people's bias starts to show. I push my thoughts aside to make sure the person is covered and I don't get my own thoughts and opinions involved. I never cover close friends either or clubs I'm involved with.  

   Whether a journalist wants to admit it or not everyone has their own bias. No one just doesn't have a bias. When you are aware that you do in fact have a bias you know to make choices whether or not to include something. I always ask myself several times before reporting on something whether or not it could be bias and I always have other people review my own writing to guarantee my own bias never gets put into something I'm producing.