Superficially objective

When you’re being superficially objective, it appears to the reader that you’re being completely objective, however, behind the scenes of your writing, you are trying to sway the reader’s opinion a particular way. You can do this in several ways. Using biased language can shape the reader’s opinion in a subtle way:

Professor Smith claims that theory A is correct ... Professor Johnson, however, explains that theory B is, in fact, correct.

Most people reading this sentence will tend to believe that theory B is correct, rather than theory A. The word ‘claims’ subtly implies that, perhaps, what Professor Smith says is not true; whereas, ‘explains’ is a more positive word that suggests that what Professor Johnson says is true. The ‘in fact’ is another little touch that sways the reader towards theory B.

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