Writing Well: The Difference Between Reporting And Opinion Pieces

With so many people able to write in blogs or social media, we've lost the traditional distinction between editorializing (offering opinions), and reporting (informing). It's kind of an old school distinction that comes from the journalism field, but it's an important one to keep in mind when you write anything, whether it's a blog post, an article on your own website, or a report written to be shared within a corporation. The distinction is pretty simple. In old school journalism you'd find opinion pieces on the editorial pages of the newspaper, and clearly marked as editorials. Sometimes call op-ed pieces (opinion/editorial), the intent is clear -- to offer up some analysis, and an opinion on the subject. In contrast reporting is about informing people, and traditionally, opinions should be eliminated from "reporting the news". More and more that distinction has been weakened, even in today's journalism.

Your Writing And The Editorial/Reporting Difference

Chances are that if you write online, you are editorializing. There' s nothing wrong with that provided you realize that it's just your opinion expressed, and not a factual account. If you are writing documents for work - financial reports, policy documents, and so on, chances are you should NOT be editorializing, but reporting the information in a dispassionate, objective manner, without coloring the report with your own opinions. Why?

It Goes To Credibility

When you write something to inform (or report), your job is to present the information as accurately as possible, and in as balanced a way as possible, so that the reader can form his or her own opinion. YOUR opinion isn't relevant, unless you've been tasked specifically to make recommendations, or offer your analysis. When you insert your opinions, whether intentionally, or because you have forgotten the distinction between editorial and report, many readers will catch on that you've drifted, and let your own biases into the arena. If they are not clearly labelled as your opinions, readers will call into question whether they are receiving from you, an unbiased and credible account on the subject. Even if you slip in an opinion amidst a great analysis, astute readers will question ALL of what you have written, as they assume you have some sort of agenda that is biasing what you write. Opinions masquerading as fact sabotage your ability to get the information out in front of others so they can make informed choices. Your readers are relying on you to be informed, and they can't rely on you if you present opinions as facts.

Reporting Now A Writer's Competitive Edge

Since the huge majority of material written is of an editorial nature, it's easier to establish yourself as a subject matter authority provided you focus on reporting, and stimulating thinking in others by providing them with valid, unbiased information. Opinions are a dime a dozen. Everyone can have one, or express one, so if you step out of editorializing all the time, and provide good, actionable and reliable information, build your credibility, and ask the right questions of readers, you may carve out a niche of reputation that brings readers to you.

Some Tips On Reporting and Editorializing

It's important that you recognize for yourself when you shift from reporting to editorializing and back. Neither is "better" and there are functions for both, provided you don't present opinion as fact. That means you have to have both a sense of self-awareness about your writing, AND the discipline to keep the two separate, or at least clearly labelled. Here are some tips.

1. When writing about a subject you are passionate about, be particularly careful about confusing fact with opinion. After you finish writing something, and prior to making it available to readers. Go through each sentence and identify whether it expresses an opinion. If it's an opinion is it labelled as such?
2. It's impossible for anyone to remove all bias from reporting. But you need to try or suffer a hit to your credibility. There's a simple, and powerful way of working towards less biased reporting. When you look for information, prior to writing, and you already have a position (opinion), spend 80% of your research time looking for information that will prove your position wrong. Seek to disconfirm your conclusions and you'll probably end up balanced. Your task is to counter our natural (and documented) psychological tendency to seek out information which CONFIRMS an already existing opinion.
3. If you really want to be strict with yourself, seek out other perspectives about what you've written, specifically from people who will LIKELY disagree with you. Have them poke holes in your logic, and ask questions about what you've written. You don't want people to pat you on the back. You want people who will disagree, and will tell you so. You don't have to incorporate their suggestions, but you need to listen, because other people -- readers -- act as a kind of mirror for the writer. The mirror helps you become more self-aware as a writer, and to identify your biases.