An analysis of the differences between news and opinion involves comparing aspects of each as seen in the table below.
| Comparison of News and Opinion |
News |
Opinion |
| Aspect being compared |
|
|
| Focus of content |
Factual description of events |
Response to events |
| Point of view |
Third person (use of he, she, they, it) |
First person (I think, my interpretation, we believe) |
| Source of disagreement? |
Not usually |
Very possible |
| Evokes an emotional response? |
Human interest stories will. |
Depends on the neutrality of the reader on the content |
| Is prior knowledge necessary? |
Shouldn't be, if news report is complete. |
Probably need some prior knowledge. |
| What can you look for to know whether a report is news or opinion? |
Descriptive term like "news" section; introductory phrase "morning news" |
Label "opinion" page. Label "commentary" "review" |
Test Your Understanding: A specific example of the line between fact and opinion is given in Lesson 5 of the GetNewsSmart news literacy course from SUNY Stony Brook School of Journalism. Rick Santelli, a reporter for CNBC, was interviewed; the report failed to label what he said as commentary when he expresses his opinion rather than reporting facts about trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. VIA--Verifiability, Independence, and Accountability--is a checklist that news consumers can use to separate factual reports from opinion. The lesson asks whether Santelli's report is reliable information. What do you think? (Digital Resource Center)
Brown, Amanda Christy and Katherine Schulten. "News and 'News Analysis': Navigating Fact and Opinion in The Times.
Digital Resource Center. Center for News Literacy. SUNY Stony Brook School of Journalism. GetNewsSmart. Lesson Five. "The Line between News and Opinion."
