Sticking to the facts
Sir: It is obviously difficult to ensure that reports should be free from bias, whether in The Times or the Spectator. Nevertheless, they should be as unbiased as possible, and should be based on evidence.
Mr Paul Johnson, who has long been well known for his freedom from bias, both when he was a running dog of the left and now that he is a running dog of the right, referred in your columns(31 January)to`the penetration of the news columns [of The Times] by the Left and the manner in which politically activist reporters have paraded their opinions in the guise of facts.' He offered no evidence in support of this allegation, except for one untrue statement which he subsequently withdrew, with the worst possible grace.
You now repeat it in your own Notebook (14 February), with the strange qualifying comment If Mr Johnson is right about this'. It is extremely irritating to have to deal with preposterous journalism of this kind. I wish Mr Johnson would stop parading his opinions as facts, and I wish you would attend to the evidence to support your hypothetical generalisations.
William Rees-Mogg
The Times, New Printing House Square, London WC1
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