Response to journalistic "opinion pieces"

[Orga]

I understand fully that journalistic opinion pieces are simply that: opinion pieces expressing the author's personal opinions. However, I believe that what distinguishes a journalist's op piece from their personal diary entry is that the op piece is written to draw attention to or to comment on something that is newsworthy and worthy of further thought and consideration by the reader.

What I wonder is: does anyone else who reads a certain columnist's pieces believe that they are used to promote a personal dogma with scant regard to newsworthiness, balance, or use of considered tone? Rather, they seek to use the newspaper column to pour scorn on those with whom the columnist disagrees.

 

[Green]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

What I wonder is: does anyone else who reads a certain columnist's pieces believe that they are used to promote a personal dogma with scant regard to newsworthiness, balance, or use of considered tone? Rather, they seek to use the newspaper column to pour scorn on those with whom the columnist disagrees.

This issue has always intrigued me too. So when I used to work with an ex journalist colleague who used to work for a national newspaper, I put this question to him. He replied that sometimes the opinion piece, in his particular paper, was written by who ever was available to do it and as you have pointed out, was reflective of their own personal dogma.

 

[The_Banker]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

they seek to use the newspaper column to pour scorn on those with whom the columnist disagrees.

TBH I thought that was a given!

 

[Orga]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Here's a thought - we pay for the newspaper so imagine if there was significant feedback from readers to say that they no longer wished to pay for articles of this nature unless written in a mature and professional manner - I'm thinking of one article in a national newspaper today in particular, along with similar articles written by the same dodgy pen.

 

[stir crazy]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

I havent bought newspaper in years. If I want to read an article badly enough Ill pop into a library.

While in a newsagents this morning, I saw one dodgy looking headline something like 'gentleman jewel thief.'
I dont read the article and I dont care about it but where does this dogma come from, this set of cliches that seem to propagate over and over again ? I know this is one of those propagations because I've seen the headline 'gentleman jewel thief' many times before.
The only gentleman jewel thieves were probably characters played by Cary Grant and David Niven in old movies made before my time. What the hell has that go to do with anything ? Why cant they come up with original news instead of recycling a headline thats been used a million times before and was never newsworthy. I really wish I could find a newspaper I was happy with which didnt waste my time on some journalists abundance of ego combined with lack of talent.

 

[annR]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Related question, is anyone else surprised by the vitriolic nature of any opinion pieces published about feminists or women working etc - mostly written by women I might add. It's rare to read something which helps shed any light on these complex issues which, let's face it, I'm usually looking for when I bother reading an article. But it's usually some really angry review or critique of either one woman in particular for instance the author of a book, or another journo, or a group of women for instance women who do or say xyz or have a particular lifestyle or viewpoint about working / childcare / marriage / whatever.

 

[michaelm]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Related question, is anyone else surprised by the vitriolic nature of any opinion pieces published about feminists or women working etc

You must be reading the Daily Mail, if you read the Irish Times you might find that the vitriolic pieces are by feminists.

mostly written by women I might add.

Betraying the sisterhood? Surely their gender is irrelevant.

 

[annR]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

You must be reading the Daily Mail, if you read the Irish Times you might find that the vitriolic pieces are by feminists.Betraying the sisterhood? Surely their gender is irrelevant.

I never thought about whether they're feminists or not writing them - I notice that even in general discussion the topic gets most women into really heated/angry discussions. The gender is irrelevant I was just trying to preempt it being pointed out to me that women write these articles.

 

[Purple]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

What I wonder is: does anyone else who reads a certain columnist's pieces believe that they are used to promote a personal dogma with scant regard to newsworthiness, balance, or use of considered tone? Rather, they seek to use the newspaper column to pour scorn on those with whom the columnist disagrees.

That's why they call 'em opinion pieces.

 

[Betsy Og]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

not to defame anybody (would I ....) is the OP referring to a Mr. Myres or someone else?

While the said individual can be a bit "over-polished" and precious in his views it still makes for interesting reading. All for thought provoking pieces, good on you old chap.

Who are the others in question - the Sindo seemed littered with such types when last I bought it (a few years ago at this stage).

A certain floppy-haired economist also has his agenda, increasingly proven correct ...sadly, but I think he writes well (he doesnt get into his cringey acronyms).

 

[ubiquitous]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Here's a thought - we pay for the newspaper so imagine if there was significant feedback from readers to say that they no longer wished to pay for articles of this nature unless written in a mature and professional manner - I'm thinking of one article in a national newspaper today in particular, along with similar articles written by the same dodgy pen.

Columnists thrive on controversy. The more negative feedback the better. The biggest misfortune in that game is to be ignored.

 

[cork]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Opinion pieces are lazy pieces of journalisim.

When did these papers last break a story?

Papers are simply full of these opinion fluff pieces.

Many of these journalists opinions are a joke. You would be better to go and talk to your neighbours down the pub than spend €1.70 on a paper.

Openion pieces are largely liberal, left wing and anti government.

Pretty boring stuff really.

Some openion writers are parodys of themselves.

 

[ubiquitous]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Opinion pieces are largely liberal, left wing and anti government.

...and when they're not liberal, left wing and anti government, they're castigated for this, eg Harris, Myers etc

 

[cork]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Many would be liberal, left wing and anti government.

I surpose most are negative.

Positivity and controversy don't work well together.

Another crib is the lack of writing in Irish in newspapers.

The Irish Times on a Wendnesday is fine.

The Irish Examiner is very poor with a large gaelteact area in the county.

But apart from openion pieces - fluff pieces are all over the papers.

It would be better - if they started breaking stories.

 

[Staples]

I think, bottom line, is that the paper ultimately has to stand over anything its columnists put to print but a certain amount of license has to be given. The alternative is a short cut to censorship.

It's the same with any job if you think about it. An employer is happy enough to give a worker flexibility as long as it gets the job done.

 

[Blueberry08]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

if you read the Irish Times you might find that the vitriolic pieces are by feminists.

So you've missed the weekly vitriol by that well know feminist, John Waters?

I would have said misogynist but I can't spell it.

 

[Purple]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

I would have said misogynist but I can't spell it.

Ask a man, there's a good girl

 

[diarmuidc]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

...and when they're not liberal, left wing and anti government, they're castigated for this, eg Harris, Myers etc

Maybe, but I think Harris and Myres are castigated because they are idiots. I mean who whould bother to publish a piece like this

 

[Purple]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Maybe, but I think Harris and Myres are castigated because they are idiots. I mean who whould bother to publish a piece like this

I think that Myres makes some very valid points about how biased and ill-informed the Irish media is. This bias is particularly pronounced in the print media but RTE is close behind. The coverage of international news in the Irish media is abysmal, with many major international stories ignored. There is a strong anti-American and anti Israeli slant to just about all RTE and Irish Times coverage. Their coverage of the Middle East in particular shows a bias which appears, in my opinion, to border on plain old-fashioned anti Semitism.
The IT goes out of its way to attempt to establish moral equivalences between the actions of America and her partners and terrorists who would blow up a bus full of children in Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem. However biased Mr. Myres is he in no way balances the plethora of self-righteous pseudo-liberal pinkos led by the morally pure Fintan O’Toole.

 

[stir crazy]

Re: Response to opinion pieces

Maybe, but I think Harris and Myres are castigated because they are idiots. I mean who whould bother to publish a piece like this

That article makes little sense to me.

There is a strong anti-American and anti Israeli slant to just about all RTE and Irish Times coverage. Their coverage of the Middle East in particular shows a bias which appears, in my opinion, to border on plain old-fashioned anti Semitism.

I have heard this accusation so many times (I think in this forum but could have been elsewhere too) and being interested at this stage at forming an unbiased opinion on the matter, I would love to actually be shown an example of an article/news story from RTE or the Irish Times which was biased in this way. I have to admit I dont usually read newspapers and much prefer something like a history book or an encyclopedia.