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Are newspaper editors biased?

By Editor
08 September 2017   |   3:08 am
Sir: I have gathered that many national newspaper editors are biased, jingoistic and not patriotic.

Sir: I have gathered that many national newspaper editors are biased, jingoistic and not patriotic.

As for killing articles, no editor worth his salt would kill an article for its content. It could be that the article wasn’t well-written, had too many factual errors, is already in stock and under consideration by another writer or does not cover a new slant. Most articles rejected were poorly written and instead of shifting blame on editors it might be better to look them over again, rework them and resubmit especially when you are not a commissioned writer. A professional editor is only interested in the quality of your work, not the writer, unless he/she is a commissioned writer, statesman or stateswoman.

This piece is not to hold brief for editors; there are too many papers I make no effort to read. This piece is to educate people who may consider editors as super-ordinates with biased national outlooks.‬

Newspapers are established for different reasons. It is incumbent on a would-be writer to find out why. This medium (The Guardian) prefers highly cerebral works which educate, analyze, are well-researched with facts, suggest solutions and is not a medium that celebrates sensationalism without investigation. It does not pander to the region of the owners but carol for national interests with divergent views. I love this medium and one other that is politically-centered yet is not partisan because it entertains views from all sides.

Many national newspapers are not like this one.

It is frightening to see the number of clannish articles turned out daily elsewhere that are not only embarrassing to the government but damaging to the integrity of the media. So many writers have gone amok and thrown the graceful writing spirit to the wind. They have turned their pens, like guns and bayonets, on their fellow countrymen.

This type of newspaper-writing has snowballed everywhere in the country emboldening many other people to travel the long road of demagoguery.

Some editors of papers elsewhere settle for “blog-like” writers and yet aim to be The New York Times. And they fail spectacularly … ‬

Simon Abah.

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