Opinion: Remember this line for later.
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We’ve all watched the news. We’ve all turned on the TV to see program hosts yelling into the camera, ranting and complaining about the various news stories of the day. We’ve seen provocatively headlined stories reported on with the sole purpose of producing a strong reaction and shaky cell phone footage played on loop.

With the rise of virtual journalism — that is, non-written journalism — the line between news and opinion appears to have been so heavily blurred that the public can have difficulty understanding what is being presented as fact versus commentary.

According to a 2018 Pew Research study, only 36% of individuals with what was considered high levels of political awareness were able to discern the difference between various factual and opinion statements with 100% accuracy. 

That number halves when looking at those with low political awareness.

But how did we get here? Why do we struggle with this incredibly important difference between fact and opinion? 

Let’s break it down. 

First, we must understand the difference between three different types of news programs: local news, national news broadcasts and news talk shows. 

According to Arcadia University, local news programs are known to have fact-based reporting and include sponsored sections. National broadcasts also utilize fact-based reporting; however, they can also include opinion segments or commentary. News talk shows, usually presented as pundits (single-person) or panel shows, can be much more opinionated. Examples of these shows include “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on FOX News and “The View” on ABC. 

However, these programs are often presented in alarmingly similar ways. 

To start, the shows are often set up with one or more anchors in a studio. The anchors wear nice clothes, sit behind a large desk on a million-dollar set and report the news of the day into a camera. Their programs usually run during primetime. 

Social media is another factor. Because of its accessibility to the public and overall ease of use, social media reporting often breaks the cable news pattern in favor of a more relaxed and less expensive approach to broadcasting. Within sosial media, however, there is still rarely any variation between these two types of journalism.

It is not often that these television or social media programs would start out with any sort of disclaimer that explains their difference in purpose. While not always obscure, it is on the viewers to know which shows present fact or opinion.

Newspapers, on the other hand, are very clear. 

This is an opinion article. As is evident (considering you are currently reading it), it is found within the opinion section of The Daily Emerald, which is aptly labeled “OPINION” at the top of the page. It can also be found online, under the opinion tab on The Daily Emerald website.

Beyond that, it is The Emerald’s custom that this article also includes a dek under opinion headlines. For those not familiar, a dek gives the reader an insight into what the article will be about before reading, providing more detail than just the headline. This dek, once again, starts with the word “Opinion.”

Although I always strive to make my pieces well researched and accurate, these safeguards ensure that the reader knows exactly what they are getting themselves into — an article that, while fact-based, outlines my opinion.

Clear labeling is not just a practice of the Daily Emerald. All reputable newspapers include a marking of their opinion sections and columns, and many even provide insight into the goals of articles published in these sections. 

“We cover the major news of the day, often with original reporting, but we also offer a point of view,” The Wall Street Journal’s website outlines.

Opinion journalism is delicate work. The opinions produced must contain thoughts that are well-thought out and that endure a thorough editing process. Well-researched facts must be used to form the opinion, and acknowledgment of any shortcomings should be included. 

Virtual journalism aims to report on breaking news as quickly as possible because it has teh resources to do so. There is almost no time where some news channel isn’t running, and anyone can always post on social media. Therefore, the normal research and editing process can be expedited in order to meet faster deadlines. 

Because of the nature of virtual news outlets such as television and social media — and the rarity of any visual or verbal cues or labels that might alert viewers if an opinion is being presented — the line between what is and isn’t fact becomes muddled. This is harmful for the public at large, and has severely harmed the integrity of true opinion journalism.