I didn’t see it in the Star-Ledger‘s announcement of the end of its print edition, but later I learned that it will also discontinue its editorial board and the columns of Tom Moran and Paul Mulshine. I don’t know if it was just the economics of not wanting to pay for locally produced opinion content or if management determined that many people do not subscribe because the newspaper is too liberal. Not that I agreed with all, or indeed most, of the Star-Ledger‘s editorial positions, but I will miss the labeled editorials for several reasons:
- The labelled opinion pieces often provide factual details that are not actually reported in the “news” articles.
- Opinion is more likely to get included in what is supposed to be news. (I’ve complained about this several times before, for example here.) Look at the choice of covering the end of the presidential campaign. If the Star-Ledger was your only source of news you can be excused for believing that Harris had all the enthusiasm.
- Any non-local opinion sources will not give sufficient coverage to local issues. Local policies will be unexamined.
- The “other side” might just be right; it’s healthy to know its arguments.
Jay Bohn
November 11, 2024
Copyright 2024 by Jay Bohn.