Yeah from the link posted above I thought it was reasonably balanced.
It's a classic editorial in some sense - trying to show points and cons, trying not to be overly controversial while still talking about a major news topic - it's usually the opinion of one writer, so whether it's pro-Phoenix or anti-Nix, it's a bit of a brush to label it fully as the Dom Post's viewpoint.
From this I have no problems with it - it shows pro-Petone ideas, from the mayor, Gareth etc, and then tells us what critics think too, it somewhat blandly doesn't come to any conclusion, definitely wouldn't class it as pro or anti Nix at all.
I could go on but I feel nobody will agree with me anyway, just my take from the outside.
Think you are trying to hard. Or not hard enough.
Here is a quote:
The stadium could be used for other stuff like... "concerts, events, club rugby, Team Wellington...and even Hurricanes games. If that was so, then the Petone stadium would undoubtedly be an asset. But a detailed business case needs to be made to support these claims. The project should be baswed on hard-headed calculation rather than the self-interested claims of a soccer team seeking subsidies. Nor should it be based on local political enthusiasm. Politicians, after all, are usually keen to build monuments."
That is the penultimate paragraph. Not much balance there.
They're using a classic editorial trick, say something unarguable and follow it with something totally bullshit, and the two cancel each other out.
"But a detailed business case needs to be made to support these claims." That's totally reasonable. I'm nodding in agreement.
"The project should [not] be based on...the self-interested claims of a soccer team seeking subsidies." That is not only unbalanced but totally factually inaccurate.
The construction tricks you, you're left thinking "yeah, you're right there must be a detailed business case so that the soccer team seeking subsidies doesn't railroad the whole thing through."
To write with balance, you've got to write the whole piece with balance.