On Editorializing

There is a shunned practice in news writing. Truly, there are several, but there is one in particular, the avoidance of which is among the most fundamental policies in the ethical reporter's cavern-thick rulebook. That forbidden practice is known as editorializing.

In essence, to editorialize is to insert oneself into the story.

"The City Council members submitted an insightful plan."

The plan was insightful? Says who, you?

A journalist is chronicler, not lecturer. A journalist leaves interpretation up to the reader. A journalist deals in transparency, not perspective. A journalist offers fact, not truth.

Much to the chagrin of this particular journalist, yours truly, who is charged with clinging to industry principles, editorializing is not just accepted in the blogosphere. It's commonplace. It's encouraged. Oh, what fun.

So what's a journalist to do? Years of conditioning have all but eliminated editorializing from reporters' bags of tricks while bloggers have instilled disdain in newsrooms for their freedom to wax opinion from one side of the mouth while enjoying food from reporters' plates in the other.

Personally, I figure it's time to get mine. Sure, sure, I'll still be Pavlov for my own staff, slowly stripping their writing of its opinion, but here, in this space, I'll deal in truths. I'll offer perspective. Maybe I'll have fun.