Editorial: The Place for Opinion

BiB Contributor | Anonymous News Director

Part of the appeal of one particular cable news organization has been its success in cultivating opinion-based journalism. Although everyone who has ever been to journalism school would contend “opinion based journalism” is an oxymoron, some have cleverly found a way to make the two seemingly contradictory schools of thought co-exist.

I was just breaking into the business when commentaries and editorials were prominent features in most newscasts. Suffice it say, they fell by the wayside years ago. We were told they didn’t have an audience. Lately, we’ve seen a resurgence. But it appears some stations don’t quite understand how to make editorials and commentaries interesting to a broad audience.

First and foremost, editorials need to be delivered by someone with personality. This person must be able to deliver an opinion with conviction, authority, and attitude. Second, topics that touch a nerve must be selected each and every time. They should use the same formula as any news story: video, graphics, and facts must be there to back up the opinion expressed. Rest assured, the formula works. The stations that do it right and well wouldn’t think about ditching it. Once the responses – good and bad – start coming in, you know you’ve hit a home run.

One might ask why I chose to write about this issue in a “Breaking into Broadcasting” website. I occasionally write about trends I see; the resurgence of the editorial is one. Many people coming out of school ask “why” opinions are allowed in a newscast. This is one way to help you understand. A complete resurgence of editorials hasn’t happened yet.. but the stations that have figured out the right way to do it are experiencing an explosion in interaction: emails, phone calls, etc. This is what you want. The responses show your material was relevant to a number of people.

For purists who believe opinions don’t have a place in a local newscast, remember one of the definitions of “news:” News is what people are talking about, and will be talking about in the future. Showcased properly, editorials and commentaries can achieve just that without getting in the way of the conventional news you deliver. It can actually help enhance your brand!

Tags: breaking, broadcasting, Journalism, news, opinions