A Letter from the Editor News vs. Opinion

Partisan news sites are on the rise because certain entities are eager to push a specific agenda for their own benefit. On top of that, many readers are only comfortable consuming news or opinions that reinforce their own bias. I believe our subscribers are smarter than that. Our newsroom’s ultimate goal is to provide thorough, thought-provoking and objective news coverage that lets readers decide what the truth is, rather than us deciding it for them.

Independent and unbiased news is crucial to democracy. Our newsroom solidly stands behind our Statement of Core Values, including the separation of news and opinion. The journalists at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette do an exceptional job of leaving their personal beliefs out of their news reporting. We meticulously watch for language that could be perceived as editorializing. If something in our newspaper contains an ounce of opinion, it’s labeled as such. There is a clear separation of the news and opinion staffs and what appears in those pages.

Unbiased news is crucial to democracy, but so is debate. The opinion section is just that — several pages that showcase multiple and routinely differing viewpoints on important issues in our state, nation and world. By its very definition, readers will not agree with everything written there.

We thank you for your support of our newsroom. Each subscription helps fund credible and reliable statewide coverage.

Eliza Hussman Gaines

Managing Editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette