I've heard from two readers today who encouraged The Star to cover today's Right to Life Rally in Washington, D.C., equitably in print tomorrow.
"It would be appreciated if The K.C. Star would carry an accurate but non-biased article on the Right to Life Rally in Washington D.C.," emailed one. "...It would also be appreciated IF the K.C. Star decides to give the rally coverage, not to bury it. Although the position of The Star may not be in agreement, the coverage is newsworthy."
Fair enough, and a common request from supporters of all sorts of demonstrations and protests.
One detail I should point out: The news side's stated purpose is not to have a position on topics such as abortion rights. The editorial board does, but its members' writing remains in the Opinion section, and the board does not attend news meetings, nor does it play an operational role in writing, editing or choosing news stories for the paper or the website.
March for Life
If editors make assignments to the reporting staff to cover newsworthy events, I would suggest to them that the thousands of people from Kansas City who make the long March to Washington, DC should be given some attention.
No operational control, but...
Does anyone on the editorial board play a role in the hiring and advancement of news reporters?
None at all -- and that's a
None at all -- and that's a great question. News reporters are all on the news side, and their managers are editors on the news side. The opinion and news offices are actually even on different floors in the building.