Op-Ed Sections, Threat or Menace?

[Azrael]

Second Washington Post writer quits over failure to back Kamala Harris

 

[SixToe]

Soon-Shiong's daughter apparently is a lightning rod, lightning bolt and flamethrower to the LAT, which has staffers believing she's pulling the family's strings.

Daughter of L.A. Times Owner Says Endorsement Decision Stemmed From Harris Stance on Gaza War

 

[Songbird]

Nika Soon-Shiong is a coward like her dad.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Everyone is quitting The Post:

 

[WriteThinking]

Why Major Newspapers Won't Endorse Kamala Harris

We were ready to endorse Harris, and Soon-Shiong's post on X was the first time I or my fellow editorial writers had heard anything about a side-by-side analysis. Having been so casually thrown under the bus, I resigned Thursday. My colleague Karin Klein also announced that she would step down.

Robert Greene was an editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times for 18 years. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for a series of editorials that advanced the cause of criminal-justice reform.

I get more and more depressed about these situations the more I read about the L.A. Times' and the Post's moves. It truly was an abdication of responsibility, and, as Greene, wrote, a journalistic failure. In an election like this one, it is especially unacceptable and inexcusable.

The papers encourage people to get out and vote, and have written about how important turnout will be, and then, proverbially speaking, they themselves chose not to show up.

And where do people get the idea that editorials don't/can't change anybody's mind, or, perhaps, provide assurance about decisions already made? A clear, well-argued, well-written editorial can do either of those things, or both.

 

[Alma]

I get more and more depressed about these situations the more I read about the L.A. Times' and the Post's moves. It truly was an abdication of responsibility, and, as Greene, wrote, a journalistic failure. In an election like this one, it is especially unacceptable and inexcusable.

The papers encourage people to get out and vote, and have written about how important turnout will be, and then, proverbially speaking, they themselves chose not to show up.

And where do people get the idea that editorials don't/can't change anybody's mind, or, perhaps, provide assurance about decisions already made? A clear, well-argued, well-written editorial can do either of those things, or both.

Abdication of responsibility because Trump?

Are these ed boards also responsible for endorsing, say, constitutional amendments for various issues like abortion, the death penalty and right-to-die matters?

 

[Octave]

The Baltimore Sun dissolved its features department today. And we care about opinion writing in 2024, why again?

 

[WriteThinking]

Abdication of responsibility because Trump?

Are these ed boards also responsible for endorsing, say, constitutional amendments for various issues like abortion, the death penalty and right-to-die matters?

I thought my post explained my view clearly and well enough.

To answer your question, though, papers certainly could endorse, or speak against any of the other issues you suggested as well.

Newspapers, done right, can be invaluable guides and light-posts to their populations of readers. Editorials are part of why people read them, at least for those interested in issues and trying to decipher where they stand, and why. Editorials, again, done right, can be very clarifying, and helpful because of that.

And if you think people don't need help right now, well...you're wrong.

 

[Azrael]

Bezos:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/

 

[Azrael]

Bezos:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/

 

[Twirling Time]

Both the WP and LAT could have kept it hush-hush and maybe nobody would've noticed.

The Streisand Effect in full, uh .. effect.

 

[HanSenSE]

Bezos:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/

YGBFKM.