"Who wrote that?"
It's a question I often receive regarding our in house editorial feature "In Our Opinion." I get it enough, and lately from several readers, that it probably means it's time to reiterate how we go about producing the weekly opinion piece, and maybe a couple other things as well.
As I said, "In Our Opinion" is produced here at the Cheney Free Press. It's the product of discussion from our editorial board, the members of which are listed in our mast at the bottom left corner of this page.
It works like this. Each member gets to pick a topic for discussion, and we rotate who that is on a weekly basis. That topic can be anything, ranging from local to regional, national and international events or issues. It's not limited.
The board member whose turn it is to present the topic does so, providing any supporting information to be used in the discussion - in advance if possible so the other members can read up on it if they are not familiar with it already. Discussion then takes place, and it's a pretty good one, with members often challenged on their stances on issues, supporting data questioned and concerns raised.
We then attempt to come to a decision on what our opinion as a board, and subsequently as the community newspaper, will be on the topic. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not so much.
That opinion can be a consensus opinion that requires some give and take to arrive at. It can be a majority opinion.
Once the opinion is reached, it falls to the board member who provided the topic to write the opinion. In some cases, the responsibility of writing the piece goes to those of us who are professional writers.
But remember, it is the opinion of the editorial board. It is not necessarily the opinion of the individual writing the piece, which is why individuals who have emailed, called or spoken to me in person about one of our editorials always receive the preceding explanation.
Most of the time people understand. They may not like it, because often, they are looking for somebody specific to direct their displeasure, or agreement with the opinion expressed in the editorial. Sometimes they are providing input on the topic.
After learning how the editorial board works, the reader usually wants to express their views on our collective opinion. Often that's directed at me, and that's fine.
I am the editor, the person who is ultimately responsible for the editorial content of the Cheney Free Press. The buck stops here.
But in doing this, don't expect me to pass along your feelings regarding our opinion to the rest of the board. Why should I do that? After all, they're your words, not mine, and they should be expressed only by you.
And who knows, I may actually agree with what you're saying since my opinion on the topic may not have held sway with the rest of the board members. In which case, you're essentially preaching to the choir.
Whether you agree or disagree with an "In Our Opinion," the best way to voice your opinion is by writing a letter to the editor for publication. That way not only is the board made aware of a different viewpoint, but others in the community are too.
Hopefully it will start a good, thoughtful discussion about the issues facing us as a community, a state and a nation. Because as a newspaper, our job is not only to bring you news and information, but also serve as a forum for ideas.
And while you may not realize it, you can say a lot in 350 words.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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