These words refer to a lack of fairness in judging or reporting because of the favouritism given to one way of viewing a subject. Biased suggests that someone judging or reporting a controversy is already disposed for or against one of the contending sides: He insisted that the jury was already biased by improper remarks made by the prosecution; an education that gave him a biased view of cultures different from his own; a biased account referring to the local councillors as self-seekers. Prejudiced in this context suggests a mind already disposed specifically against one view of something at issue; it also pertains more to judging something than to reporting it: The fairness of the trial was prejudiced by undue publicity; people who become prejudiced , however subtly, by the constant stereotyping of minority groups. Subjective refers to an inability to put personal interests aside in order to view a situation without preconceptions; it is a relative word in that the most conscientious attempt at objectivity cannot wholly overcome one’s innately subjective perspective: a subjective account of the war, overstressing the importance of those things the author happened to see first hand.

Slanted and one-sided pertain mostly to reports rather than to judgements. Slanted suggests the deliberate suppression of some fact and expansion of others either to flatter the biased minds of readers or to convince them that the biased attitudes of the writer or publisher are correct: a news story that was slanted to make the incumbent candidate appear certain of re-election. One-sided suggests a far more extreme position than slanted in that only facts supporting a particular attitude are presented: a one-sided history of the conflict that made it appear to be a struggle between angels and monsters.

Partial and partisan suggest different degrees of alignment with a cause. Partial may suggest either an unconscious or conscious favouring of a particular stand: countries that claimed to be neutral but were actually partial to the West; frankly admitting that he was partial to the union’s set of arguments. Partisan suggests wholehearted and unashamed commitment to and advocacy of a cause: to give equal time to partisan statements on the value of the proposed legislation. A partisan view of a matter is not necessarily unfair, provided the person is an advocate of that view and is not set up to judge between that view and another. One may even be partisan without being one-sided, if one is attentive to and considerate of other viewpoints.