To Have Or Not Have an Opinion?

Fox29 has a new format for their 10:00 pm newscast and it has invited criticism from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Inquirer interviewed journalism educators and journalists about Fox29's new opinion and commentary initiatives that have become the focus of the show. Even the journalists who are reporting breaking news are asked for their opinions.

"We're saying if you're going to report a story, you had better know that story inside and out, and push back when people aren't telling you the truth," the news director told the Inquirer. "We'll stick with stories longer. We'll do fewer of them but report them in greater detail."

The news director and other Fox29 folks rationalize the move by saying that they need to be different from the other broadcast news outlets in town.

The Inquirer article alludes to editorializing, pandering and populist boostering.

At the same time Fox29 is being slammed for having an opinion, Jon Stewart is praised for having one.

Is Fox29 doing anything wrong? Aren't they asking their reporters to do what magazine article writers have been doing for decades?

What should news operations be doing?

(by the way, this is re-posted from the Entrepreneurial Journalists of Philadelphia blog)

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