Opinions in Journalism

By Crystal Howard
Acclaimed journalist from New York City was the guest speaker on March 4 at an event that
honored late journalist, Norm Brewer.
Special guest, Geneva Overholser, spoke on the Norm Brewer First Amendment Lecture Series.
Brewer was one of the best commentators during his time on television.
Norm Brewer provided some of the best commentary of any journalist on television,
Overholser said.
Geneva Overholser explained the growth of opinion in journalism and how opinion is connected
to the First Amendment in the world of news today.
Overholser is a senior fellow at the Center for Communication Leadership and Policy at the
University of Southern California Annenburg School of Communication and Journalism. She formerly
held positions as editor of the Des Moines Register, ombudsmen of the Washington Post and a member
of the editorial board of The New York Times.
In my opinion, I believe that people are referring to a variety of things when they say, I am
worried about the growth of opinion in journalism, Overholser said.
Overholsers different views on the aspects of journalism vary from opinionated news to the
spectrum theory of journalism to how people receive their news.
Statistics say that 55 percent of Americans get their news from the television while 33 percent
get their news from talk radio. Twenty-nine percent of Americans get their news from newspapers
including digital while 8 percent get their news from Twitter.
While objectivity is still a goal in most newsrooms, opinion says a larger and larger role in how
reporters present the news. For instance, Overholser characterized the different types of opinion on the
spectrum theory that ranged from the rants on talk or television shows to thought and researched
analysis of complex basis.
Traditional newspapers in todays generation needs opinion and sources to stories in order to
give added value as well as to supplement traditional journalism.
The range of media and how media is delivered also facilitates more opinionated news,
Overholser said. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts, she said.