Have you noticed how many supposedly news articles are really a bunch of commentaries and opinions? The majority of news stories use to be the opposite; facts. I am hoping that there is a shift back to good journalism that reports objective news and allow us to make an opinion. I guess I am so sick of the propaganda filled big story or breaking news and newspaper owners/sites with agendas. I just want the cold hard facts. Give them to me. I can make my OWN opinion.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There is a place and time for commentary and opinions. I think that the letters to the editors and commentary page in a newspaper or online news source can be interesting and even educational for one to explore how others may think. And yes, I have more of a desire to hear an expert’s informed opinion even though it is still a belief, judgement, a way of viewing information. It’s still not a fact, and THIS is where I believe people get confused.
Teaching fact vs opinion could get a little blurred for my students too. They often would say an opinion they agreed with was fact.
A fact is something that is true or can be proven; knowledge that is nonfiction. An opinion is someone’s view or judgement; their feelings.
What I do find annoying and very insulting is when the newspaper or online news source decides to report the news in a subjective way that makes it sound like facts. They will print/release this article over and over as though saying it enough will make it a fact. That is very misleading.
I prefer objective reporting for 95% of the news. Just the facts.