What do I say and when?
June 21st, 2007, 4:17 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Scott Shackford
I occasionally hear that people appreciate the amount of thought and research that goes into my editorials. I also occasionally hear that I don’t write nearly enough editorials.
The two comments are related. Some people make the transition from writing journalism to writing opinion pieces more easily than others. It has been difficult for me at times, because I worry that I’m going to write an opinion that may influence readers’ views or behaviors, and then it will turn out that I was totally off-base in my editorial (which I’m accused of anyway. I mean that I will come to my own realization that I was wrong).
It’s the flip side of a common (and necessary) fear among journalists about printing something that turns out to be untrue. It may be true that opinions cannot be wrong, but they can be poorly informed. Whenever I set forth an opinion, especially about a local issue, I worry that there’s information I don’t have that might have affected my stance.
For example, I don’t plan to write an editorial at this time regarding the conflict over the contracts for the wastewater facility upgrade. My immediate instinct is much like council member Joe Gomez’s — possibly abandoning a current plan over a $65,000 contract after having already spent $1 million seems incredibly wasteful.
However, if the costs are spiraling far beyond what was originally planned for, as Mayor Lawrence Dale is claiming, then the city (and the taxpayers) could end up losing far more than $1 million in the end.
But there’s gaps in our understanding right now. In our reporters’ discussions with those involved in the story, it’s not clear where the costs actually stand. We’re not yet sure of the facts of the situation, so I’m not comfortable with picking a side for this debate as yet.
