A couple of months ago, an online reader responded to a column in The Chief about the then-recent experiment conducted by scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research that suggested there is something in the universe - specifically sub-atomic particles called neutrinos -that might be able to travel faster than the speed of light. If confirmed, the columnist wrote, the discovery would debunk one of the foundational laws of physics, namely Einstein's theory of relativity.
"Are you serious with this story? How is this news?" the reader wrote. "There have been thousands of articles written on this already, and yet you write it like it's an amazing little trend that you've stumbled upon yourself"
We at The Chief were a bit taken aback by the comment, because it appeared to show a lack of understanding of the distinction between news and opinion. This writer pointed out that, at the top of the article, it clearly said, "Columnists" - i.e. this wasn't meant to be "news."
This week, a reader who disagreed with a recent column in The Chief did what readers who disagree are encouraged to do - wrote a letter to the editor. But the reader went further, suggesting that the newspaper should not have published the column, arguing that the column -"Fluoridation helps fight tooth decay" by Dr. Paul Martiquet - was "little more than propaganda to maintain the status quo at the cost of our health."
We appreciate the first sentiment expressed in the letter, but are puzzled by the second. If we had written a news story about fluoridation in public water supplies, we would have provided voice to both sides of what's obviously a contentious issue. But this was a column, written by someone whose position and credentials suggest that he's qualified to provide his views about the issue. It's an opinion and as such the writer is free to call upon whatever knowledge and/or evidence he or she wishes to support his/her point of view. Letter writers are free to do the same.
To us, suggesting that the column should not have been published shows an element of misunderstanding here -either of the distinction between news and opinion, or of the role that opinion plays in shaping public discourse.
Over the past couple of years, we've noticed that the line between news and opinion has become increasingly blurred, and it seems to this writer that the blogosphere is at least partly to blame. While it's possible that a percentage of readers never did "get it" - and that we just never heard from them before Facebook, blogs and online comments became all the rage - we like to think that the lion's share do. As we begin 2012, we therefore will continue to publish a wide variety of news and opinion, doing our best to ensure that columns, letters and editorials are clearly labelled as such. As always, of course, readers are encouraged to provide their own views, either online or through the printed word.
- David Burke
