Survey probes status of op-ed journalism and practices of op-ed editors

Newspaper Research Journal, Spring 1998 by Ciofalo, Andrew

As an editorial explained, Op-Ed would provide a forum for political, social and personal expression by writers with "no institutional connection with the Times" - views that would "very frequently be divergent from our own." ... During the 1960's John B. Oakes, then editorial page editor, argued that the paper needed to make room for outside articles ... that would provoke robust discussion.... lT]he publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzburger ... had powerful reasons for wanting a new forum - chiefly a gut feeling that the Times would honor its traditions and better serve its readers by welcoming a variety of views providing doctrinal counterpoints to the liberalism of the paper's editorial columns and its columnists.2

And this remains op-ed journalism's dominant philosophy, as executed by first editor Salisbury, whose "concept of the page, a free-flowing marketplace of ideas, became the prototype for most other op-ed pages and continues to serve as a model even today."2 Thus the Times' contribution to oped journalism can be described as more substantive than chronological.

Despite the limited number of op-ed outlets and their internal restrictions, there is a surprisingly lively and large group of free-lancers vying to be heard - this despite low or no pay, chaotic copyright conditions, and a general bias toward well-known contributors.23 The resulting frustration could greatly impact the quality and number of free-lance submissions, thereby affecting the tone and mission of the op-ed page.

When this survey was begun, expectations were high that after a quarter century of highly visible op-ed pages in national newspapers, the op-ed phenomenon would be widespread. The results, later confirmed by a commercial publisher seeking to sell a directory of op-ed editors (see note 8), revealed not more than 12 percent of American dailies with op-ed pages.

The purpose of this survey and the value of this baseline data is linked to the emerging phenomenon of public journalism and its community connectedness. The study is important to publishers, editors and academics - but for differing reasons.

Before looking beyond the newsroom to community involvement, publishers need to consider whether their newspapers are fully invested in the editorial means already at their disposal to meet these new objectives. The core business of the newspaper - information, analysis and opinion - must be fully engaged before turning to other initiatives to solve newspapers' public relations and marketing problems.

The AOPE needs to promulgate professional standards for the practice of op-ed journalism, including a clear articulation of the page's mission and function. Not only do the editors need to consider ethical practices in dealing with free-lancers (e.g., extra pay when an op-ed submission is moved on a regional or chain wire), but they also would benefit by establishing a professional identity within the field in order to attract top journalists to their ranks.

And finally, academics need to pay detailed attention to every aspect of newspaper journalism if they are to provide a context for survival in a changing media environment. Every aspect of newspaper journalism - such as travel, reviews (cinema, theater, music, art, etc.), real estate, commerce, health and science to name a few - begs for closer scrutiny. It is a disservice to the field that op-ed journalism has gone unexamined for so long.