Word got back to me yesterday that some people involved with the Green County Humane Society were bothered by the fact that the Times this week printed opinion pieces from two former board members who disagree with some of the policies and practices of the current board. (For the record, it sounds like most of the GCHS
I think part of the concern is confusion about what gets printed on the Views page and why. There are some people, I know, who have the misconception that newspapers only publish viewpoints on their opinion pages that they agree with. Or that by publishing a particular viewpoint, the newspaper is endorsing it.
This is absolutely not the case at the Times, and it's hard for me to imagine it happening at any other daily newspaper in America.
The only viewpoint on our Views page that you can be sure is "ours" is the daily editorial labled "Our View." And, even then, that viewpoint only represents a majority of the Times' editorial board. It is the official stance the Times takes on a particular issue, but it is not necessarily the viewpoint shared by most Times employees.
The rest of the opinions shared on the page, whether they be letters to the editor, guest commentaries, syndicated columns, or even Rick Sherman's cartoons, are published on the Views page whether "we" agree with them or not. I am the person who makes the daily decisions about what goes on the Views page, and I can assure you there is a great percentage of opinions shared on the page that I disagree with!
But you can't have an honest debate about an issue if there's only one side being presented. You certainly don't learn anything. So that's why I enjoy it when our Views page includes opinions that differ from "Our View" or are at odds with my own personal viewpoints.
I think part of the concern is confusion about what gets printed on the Views page and why. There are some people, I know, who have the misconception that newspapers only publish viewpoints on their opinion pages that they agree with. Or that by publishing a particular viewpoint, the newspaper is endorsing it.
This is absolutely not the case at the Times, and it's hard for me to imagine it happening at any other daily newspaper in America.
The only viewpoint on our Views page that you can be sure is "ours" is the daily editorial labled "Our View." And, even then, that viewpoint only represents a majority of the Times' editorial board. It is the official stance the Times takes on a particular issue, but it is not necessarily the viewpoint shared by most Times employees.
The rest of the opinions shared on the page, whether they be letters to the editor, guest commentaries, syndicated columns, or even Rick Sherman's cartoons, are published on the Views page whether "we" agree with them or not. I am the person who makes the daily decisions about what goes on the Views page, and I can assure you there is a great percentage of opinions shared on the page that I disagree with!
But you can't have an honest debate about an issue if there's only one side being presented. You certainly don't learn anything. So that's why I enjoy it when our Views page includes opinions that differ from "Our View" or are at odds with my own personal viewpoints.
