Frequently Asked Questions
What is the relationship between the news department and editorial?
The News & Record's news and editorial departments are distinctly separate operations. The news department has nothing to do with the paper's editorial stances and the editorial department has nothing to do with news coverage decisions. That's the way we want it and the way we like it. Editor John Robinson is in charge of the news department and directs news coverage. Editorial Page Editor Allen Johnson is in charge of the opinion pages. Both Allen and John report to the newspaper's publisher, Robin Saul.
What do the "Agenda" logos mean?
The "Agenda" logo signifies editorials dealing with issues that we consider top priorities for our community within a given year. The agenda items for the year 2003 were : the economy, education, the vulnerable, quality of life, leadership and building community.
We as an editorial board brainstorm and discuss the next year's priorities near the end of the preceding year.
The 2004 agenda will appear in the Jan. 1 News & Record.
Who writes the staff editorials?
The editorials represent the official position of the newspaper's editorial board with input from our publisher, Robin Saul; they are not the sentiment of any one individual. Hence, they aren't signed. These editorials can be found on the left-hand side of the Opinion page.
Editorial writers Allen Johnson, Doug Clark, Kenneth Irons and Betsi Robinson meet daily at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the news of the day, what we should write about and what our editorials should say.
Why are you so biased?
As Bill Clinton might have said, it depends on what your definition of bias is. If bias is to mean we take a discernible point of view in our editorials, then we are guilty as charged. That's what editorial pages are: opinion sections. By their nature they express a point of view.
If your definition of bias means that we express our opinions at the exclusion of all others, we try very hard not to do that. That's why the News Department is separate from the editorial pages.
And it is why our Second opinion pages, or op-ed pages, contain such diverse points of view. And it is why we print letters to the editor that often disagree with us and that often are intensely critical of the newspaper.
Why are you so liberal (conservative)?
We are who we are.
We prefer to call our stances moderate, meaning our positions tend to fall more in the middle than at extreme ends of the political spectrum. But some call us liberal; some call us conservative (believe it or not). Political views, we suppose, are in the eye of the beholder, but we like to think we call things as we see them.
We also try to avoid a one-size-fits all editorial philosophy. For instance, we favor stricter gun control. We oppose a North Carolina lottery. We judge candidates based on the issues, not their party affiliation. We also like to counterbalance our views by running a diversity of columnists, some conservative (Giles Lambertson, Charles Davenport, Cal Thomas, George Will), some moderate (Leonard Pitts) and some liberal (Rosemary Roberts, Molly Ivins).
That said, our editorial positions once in a while may cut against the grain of what the majority of our readers feel because we believe that the most principled stances aren't always the most popular ones.
Why won't you get rid of Molly Ivins?
Why won't you get rid of Cal Thomas?
We won't get rid of either Ivins or Thomas because they express extremely divergent schools of thought. They provide a spicy, provocative yen and yang on the editorial pages that lends a voice to many of our readers' views and pricks at the foibles of liberals and conservatives.
Why are you so anti-business?
We support healthy growth and development in Greensboro, meaning prosperity without sacrificing quality of life.
Thus we are ….
a. for the planned FedEx hub at PTI Airport but philosophically against government incentives.
b. for healthy sports franchises in Greensboro but against government paying for them.
Why do you endorse political candidates?
As a newspapers that stakes its positions on issues the other 364 days of the year, we think it would be odd if we did not take a stand on Election Day, when we choose our leaders.
Our endorsements are intended more than anything else to reflect how the newspaper as an institution would vote, if it could, and to encourage readers to vote, whether they agree or disagree with our arguments.
We neither have the power, nor the motive, to make the community vote a certain way. .
Where do the editorial cartoons come from?
We subscribe to cartoons from national distributors such as Tribune Media Services and Universal Press Syndicate. We receive the cartoons daily via the Internet.
How do you process letters to the editor?
We receive letters in a variety of ways - by mail, by e-mail, by fax - and some are personally delivered. Becky Layton, our office manager, opens the letters and delivers them to Allen Johnson, the editorial page editor.
Allen looks over the letters and chooses the best for publication. We received more than 4,000 letters last year.
The letters then go back to Becky to be verified. We don't want to take a chance on publishing a fake letter. Becky then types the letters that didn't arrive as e-mail.
After the letters are entered into our computer system, staff members take turns editing them, writing the headlines and proofreading them.
Frequently asked questions about letters
Do you publish only letters that you agree with?
Quite the contrary. We disagree with the sentiments of a number of letters to the editor. But as long as they follow our guidelines for publication, they are likely to be printed. An exception is when we get a large volume of letters on the same subject that say essentially the same thing over a period of time. In that case, we might discontinue running them because we believe the discussion is not being advanced and that readers will lose interest.
How can I increase my chances of having a letter published?
Make sure you keep it to no more than 250 words. Type it or write it legibly. And refrain from personally attacking other letter writers. Discuss ideas, not personalities. In addition, it helps to avoid letters cliches - such expressions as: "I am shocked and appalled" and, "Wake up, (fill in the blank)."
Why won't you run unsigned letters?
We believe that letters that are signed are more credible and authentic. We also see a fairness issue here; for example, someone who criticizes a public official ought to be willing to disclose his or her name. It's very easy to attack anyone and to say anything under the cover of anonymity.
What is your policy concerning "astroturf"?
Astroturf is the name coined for form letters that are circulated on the Internet and sent to newspapers throughout the country as the work of local letter writers.
They may come from political campaigns (Democrats and Republicans are equal-opportunity offenders.) or from a variety of advocacy groups.
Our policy is very simple: We don't run them.
What are Counterpoints?
Counterpoint columns occasionally run underneath the letters. Counterpoints can be up to 450 words but must respond to an editorial in the paper or another column. In the interest of fairness, you may not respond to a letter with a Counterpoint submission. However, not all Counterpoints submitted will run, and the bar for selection is higher than for a letter. They are judged on the quality of the writing, the soundness of the reasoning and the general interest in their subject matter.
Contact
Us
|
Privacy
Policy
Content
© 2004, 2009 News & Record
