Opinion stories differ from news

It has come to my attention in recent weeks that some of our opinion columns have caused some concern within the campus community.

I think it's important for me to explain why the opinion columns are written the way they are.

Journalism is a bit different from any other form of writing. It's meant to appeal to the masses. And above all, it's meant to be objective.

However, there is an exception to the objectivity rule – and that is opinion columns.

Many people unfamiliar with the rules of journalism aren't aware of the difference between a news story and an opinion piece, so I would like to clear that up.

In The Rocket, you can tell an opinion piece from the other stories by the headshot of the writer. Regular stories don't feature headshots.

Obviously, the Opinion pages that you're looking at right now are filled with only opinion columns. In addition, there are sometimes other opinion pieces sprinkled into the Sports and Campus Life sections.

‘Ask Ana,' for instance, is an opinion piece. The advice given is from ‘Ana' herself, and it is just that – advice. Take it or leave it.

Likewise, sports editor Tim Durr's column in the Nov. 18 issue of The Rocket was his opinion. He attended the game and wrote a story based on what he observed.

No opinion piece reflects the views of the entire Rocket staff, with the exception of the staff editorial on the first page of the Opinion section.

The purpose of an opinion column is to do exactly what these pieces have done, stir up emotions and a response from readers. As the editor-in-chief, I fully stand behind all of our writers. They are entitled to express their opinions in a well thought out article, and our readers are entitled to respond with their own opinions in a well thought out Letter to the Editor.

I hope this was able to clear up a few things. I would also like to remind all of our readers that we would love to hear from you. If you're upset about something in The Rocket, let us know. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to rocket.letters@sru.edu or sent to our office in 220 Eisenberg Classroom Building.