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2003 Knight Lecture: Gail CollinsOpinions in a Time of War
Gail Collins, New York Times editorial page editor
NY Times editor delivers 15th Knight LectureBy Francine Miller In these days of non-stop news coverage of war and terrorism, there is an ever-greater need for newspapers to help readers understand the difference between journalism and advocacy, New York Times Editorial Page Editor Gail Collins said at the 15th Annual Knight Lecture at Stanford University on April 21. “It’s important for the journalistic community to discuss how we separate between news and opinion,” said Collins, who presented “Opinions in a Time of War” to an audience of more than 400 people at Kresge Auditorium. “That’s what I really want us to be thinking about.” Previous Knight Lecturers have included Paul Steiger, managing editor of the Wall Street Journal; Katrina Heron, editor-in-chief of Wired; and Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. In introducing Collins to the audience, Knight Fellowships Director James Bettinger said that with her background as a reporter and political columnist, she brought “a wealth of relevant experience” to a position that influences the opinions of the nation. “Editorial pages exist to deliver the institutional opinion of the newspaper, and when the newspaper is the New York Times, that opinion has impact,” Bettinger said. Prior to her appointment as Editorial Page Editor of the New York Times in 2001, Collins was an op-ed columnist for two years, as well as a member of the editorial board since 1995. She became head of the editorial pages at a time she initially thought would be a quiet period in American history – but then came the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, two wars, a space shuttle crash and the burst of the Internet bubble. “It’s been quite an education, I must say,” Collins said with a wry smile. Collins pointed out the differences – and perhaps surprisingly, the similarities – between the 19th century American “penny press” and newspapers of today. She explained that early American newspapers were mostly all editorial, and by default, sensational. “They were small and had to yell for attention,” she said. “You had to pander to the audience, because basically you were The Buffalo Telegraph wherever you were.” But as newspapers evolved in the 20th century, the need to appeal to a broader readership forced journalists to seek a new Holy Grail of “objectivity”. By implication, news would be based upon facts, while opinions would be reserved for the editorial pages alone. Those lines again seem to be blurring, especially in the cases of cable television news and the Internet, said Collins. “There seems to be growing confusion over the rules of objectivity,” she said. The result? According to Collins, the public will no longer be able to decide between what is fact and what is opinion. Or in the case of the Internet, which remains unregulated, between what is true and what is simply myth. These media are especially guilty of mingling fact with conjecture, said Collins, adding that “more and more commentators are innocent of any journalistic background whatsoever.” Collins was asked about the ability of news organizations to remain objective when the life of one of their own is placed in jeopardy, as in the case of the Wall St. Journal’s Daniel Pearl. She was adamant that despite the hardship, the news organization must continue to provide fair and balanced reporting. “If you’re out there, it’s critical you do the job,” she said. “Such work is done under great constraints – but that should not lead to a lack of objectivity.” In the case of embedded journalists in the war in Iraq, wouldn’t the situation become muddied as reporters rely on the military to protect their lives, one audience member asked? Collins agreed there were risks, but maintained there were still advantages to having journalists on the ground with the troops. “It’s always better to have a reporter, than not to have one at all,” said Collins. “If we didn’t have embedded journalists, there is no way we could have found out what was happening until the war was over.” In addition to her job at the New York Times, Collins has hosted The Times’ cable news program, “This Week Close-Up,” since 1997. From 1991 to 1995, Collins worked as a New York Newsday columnist and for six years prior to that as a New York Daily News columnist. She has also worked as a financial reporter at United Press International, written a weekly column for the Connecticut Business Journal and hosted a public affairs program for Connecticut Public Television. Collins has written two books, The Millennium Book, published in 1991 with her husband, Dan Collins, and Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity and American Politics, published in 1998. Her third book, “America’s Women” will be published in the fall by Morrow. — April 22, 2003 For additional information, please see: |
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