PressEthic

In an effort to demarcate between news and opinion, The New York Times has adopted new labels for pieces that are opinion. In last Sunday’s Op-Ed Page, Public Editor Byron Calame explains the change and expounds on the fine line.

"The most obvious change is a newly designed label for use exclusively on columns and reviews, the only places in the news pages where personal opinion is permitted. For the various forms of analytical journalism that don’t have a personal voice or viewpoint, but are not straightforward news reports either, there is a special new headline format," writes Calame.

While appearing as if Calame is stating the obvious or addressing a child, The Times is routinely scrutinized for letting opinion bleed on to the pages not in the Op-Ed Section, as if opinion -- or analysis -- only belongs in the back, tucked away from the rest of the paper. So, to answer those critics, The Times has put labels, or "bugs" as they called, on such items. Also added in the online version was a hyperlink explaining the deferences between types articles, from straight news to a column.

These changes do not go far enough according to the editor. "But the line turns out to be rather puny — as if drawn with a hard-leaded pencil when a large-tipped felt marker would better serve readers," writes Calame. One main problem, he feels, is that the new "bugs" don't have the word "opinion" or "commentary" in the label, which amazingly was why the changes were made in the first place. He also complains that these changes will not be visible on the Web.

The impetus for the change was caused by evolving media. Calame calls it "the blurring of news and opinion," adding, "Over several decades, the news pages have embraced more personal commentary and analytical forms of journalism." The Times created a News/Opinion Divide Committee to define the difference and recommend changes in an effort to answer the critics.

While all of this is nice and fuzzy, it was not needed. The paper did not need to convene a panel of experts. Papers, like it or not, have opinions. I don't need the paper to hold my hand and tell me what is straight and what is opinion. Those that complain to the Times are complaining because they don't like views of the paper, not the lack of labels, and I'm sure The Wall Street Journal hears the same hue and cry.