WSJ staffers ask for clarification between editorial and opinion

Journalists at The Wall Street Journal and other Dow Jones & Co. staffers sent a letter on Tuesday to publisher Alma Latour calling for a clearer differentiation between news and opinion content online, reports Jeffrey Trachtenberg of The Journal.

Trachtenberg writes, “The letter, signed by more than 280 reporters, editors and other employees says, ‘Opinion’s lack of fact-checking and transparency, and its apparent disregard for evidence, undermine our readers’ trust and our ability to gain credibility with sources.’

“The letter cites several examples of concern, including a recent essay by Vice President Mike Pence about coronavirus infections. The letter’s authors said the editors published Mr. Pence’s figures ‘without checking government figures’ and said the piece, ‘There Isn’t a Coronavirus ‘Second Wave,’’ required a correction.

“The letter says many readers don’t understand that there is a wall between the Journal’s editorial page operations, which have been overseen by Paul Gigot since 2001, and the news staff, which is overseen by Editor in Chief Matt Murray. Mr. Murray was also copied on the letter.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.