Editor's note: All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.
Tucked behind the front page of the last newspaper you read, or beside the breaking news section on the Indiana Daily Student website, you might have noticed opinion columns. We’re Jack Davis and Eric Cannon, opinion editors for the IDS this fall, and our goal is to ensure readers are informed and gain the necessary context to think critically about the news.
Compared to the news desk, a newsroom’s golden child and namesake, the opinion desk, like a middle child, can receive less attention. In an age when news sources struggle to regain lost trust and many readers regard outlets as not objective enough, paying more attention to opinion might seem counterintuitive. But opinion offers a service equally important and human: dialogue.
During a visit to IU last year, Carl Bernstein, one of the two investigative journalists who broke the Watergate scandal, said a reporter’s job is to give their community the “best-obtainable version of the truth” — a noble goal and worthwhile pursuit. But if we only seek to describe events or interview witnesses, merely as observers, our engagement with the truth can come to resemble a monologue.
As opinion writers, we feel this overlooks something essential for us as humans and responsible citizens. We are also participants in these conversations.
In response to the news we read, we naturally develop opinions. Whether we associate one story with other stories we’ve read or draw conclusions that others haven’t seen, we start new conversations. This is what the reader does — and the opinion writer.
In this way, the opinion desk stands alongside the reader in a unique way. That’s why you’ll find letters to the editor and guest columns in our section. Opinion depends on readers’ responses, and together, readers’ perspectives can enter into dialogue not only with the news but with one another. By contributing ideas that original witnesses might not have considered or highlighting hidden implications, we can gain a deeper understanding of the news together through opinion.
This semester, opinion columnists at the IDS have added to conversations on the uncertainties faced by teachers in Indiana, homelessness in Bloomington and local animal shelters, while guest writers have shared non-student perspectives on the return of IU’s mascot and IU governance.
In addition to publishing our normal content, we’re also proud to announce Ask Ainsley, the IDS’s new advice column, and the return of satire to the IDS.
Advice and satire columns are traditional facets of opinion desks. We hope the advice column will further allow readers to share in the process of journalism in a fun, engaging and helpful way, while satire will bring out discussions about ironies in the news. To submit a question to Ask Ainsley, fill out the Google Form here or email at askainsleyatiu@gmail.com.
We understand that news will always be the heart and soul of the IDS. But whenever news happens, opinions are formed. The IDS opinion desk’s mission is to provide public discourse, add context to complex issues and offer differing viewpoints to our readers. We hope to ensure that when news breaks, our readers aren’t just informed — they also gain the context and perspectives needed to understand its meaning. So next time you’re on the IDS website, check out the opinion section.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct a quote from Carl Bernstein.
