A Break With Tradition p.19

By: LAURA REINA

THE ST. PAUL Pioneer Press broke with tradition on Jan. 1 when it discontinued running editorials on a daily basis.
This is part of the paper's plan to change the way it utilizes its editorial staff and opinion space.
Ronald D. Clark, editor/editorial pages, explained to readers the paper's reasons behind this decision.
"There are other opportunities to shape, mold and lead public opinion than by writing daily editorials," and by changing how editorial space is utilized. "We believe we can give you more of an edge as you seek to stay on top of issues the ways opinion-shapers are thinking about them."
The six key points of the paper's new concept include:
? The paper will explore different ways to bring about discussions of issues, rather than by just writing daily editorials.
"We will produce editorials when we think the facts or situation warrant, and we have something we strongly desire to say as a newspaper. We will not write editorials simply to fill space or to uphold tradition," Clark said.
? The paper's editorial writers will start digging deeper into issues, and may try to expose readers to topics before they become big news.
? Content will dictate the design of the pages ? not tradition.
? There will be more room for pro/con, point/counterpoint discussions.
? Local writers will be alotted greater space.
? And when appropriate, the editorial staff will be encouraged to work with the community in solving problems.
Clark said that while some other newspapers have adopted a similar editorial policy, there probably would be some journalists who would scorn the Pioneer Press' decision.
Still, he said, it's not other journalists' approval the paper is looking for. Instead, the paper wants to better serve its readers.
Clark said the newspaper was producing one or two editorials a day, whether it had "anything that urgently needed saying" or not.
That meant editorials were sometimes written to merely fill space.
He cited several developments which helped change his paper's views on daily editorials.
During the Persian Gulf War, the Pioneer Press suspended Saturday editorials to print the hundreds of letters it was receiving. Since then, Saturday editorials haven't come back.
Clark also mentioned that a deepening of appreciation for local writers' and readers' opinions made the editorial staff realize that "on some days, the most important content on our pages was not the editorials we wrote, but what others had to say."
In early 1993, a group of staffers was asked to examine the paper's opinion page and recommend improvements.
Among the suggestions: use unsigned editorials more judiciously and save editorials for when an institution response is necessary.
The group also wanted more signed pieces by editorial writers.