The Pages:
Finding your way around
WE IN THE EDITORIAL department of The Sun always look forward to this annual opportunity to tell our readers about ourselves, our pages and - most important - the role of the editorial page as the institutional voice of this newspaper.
The editorial and Opinion Commentary pages are distinctly separate from the pages overseen by the editor of the news, sports and features pages. That division ensures the independence of the editorial - or opinion - department, the objectivity of the news department, and the integrity of both.
The writers and editors who make up the editorial board meet four mornings a week to discuss the issues of the day and determine which ones The Sun should weigh in on, and what should be said. There are no bylines on editorials, as there are on news stories, because editorials represent the voice of The Sun, not that of the individual writer.
We make one exception to that, on Saturdays, when frequently an editorial writer's name will appear at the bottom of a personal essay, labeled "Editorial Notebook," that represents the viewpoint of the writer and not necessarily that of The Sun.
It's not at all unusual for readers to disagree - some more heatedly than others - with the opinions expressed on the editorial page. We think that's just fine, because healthy debate and spirited conversation on issues can be both informative and entertaining. Readers are invited to sound off in our Letters to the Editor columns, and our op-ed page offers a forum for other views, as well.
So how does the editorial board come up with the views expressed in The Sun's editorials? In the broadest sense, our goal is to advocate for the well-being and betterment of this city, region, state and nation through arguments based on the facts as we understand them.
Ideology takes a back seat to good sense, and the editorial page aligns itself with no one political party; in presidential elections it has endorsed Republicans, Democrats and no one at all. The Sun tends to lean toward the Democrats' side on issues of social policy, including fundamental human and civil rights. It recognizes society's responsibility, through government, to ease the burdens of our most disadvantaged citizens. At the same time, the page tends toward a classic conservative view on fiscal and trade matters, and it continues to be a staunch supporter of individual rights and freedoms.
In general, it may be said that the editorial page tends to a liberal viewpoint, as defined by Sun editor John Owen in 1928: "If liberalism means anything, it means that kind of intellectual honesty which opens the door to all facts. It is true, of course, that liberalism in politics and journalism is identified with the advocacy of certain causes and policies. But if liberalism is anything more than pretense, such advocacy results from a fair survey of all that is pertinent, and the striking of a balance in favor of a given course."
The Sun's aim, to this day, is to strike that balance, and chart that course.
Our voice
Editorials have no bylines because they speak for The Sun in a broader sense. They usually weigh in on important news events, policies or other areas of interest. On Saturday, Editorial Notebook offers more personal essays that are informative and entertaining.
Point, counterpoint
A well-crafted argument should challenge, surprise, enlighten or inform. If it also provokes debate, or prods leaders to take action, or sways the thinking of our readers, that's a bonus, and a testament to the power of persuasive writing.
We strive for a healthy mix of contrasting views every day on the Opinion Commentary, or op-ed - opposite the editorial - page. The op-ed page features 12 local and nationally syndicated columnists in addition to writings from people in the news, academics and others chosen for their unique perspectives or their expertise in particular subjects.
Murder box
This tally of the city's homicide victims is a commentary in miniature: Never forget the lives lost, never stop fighting to make Baltimore safer. To train a spotlight on officials' struggle to reduce homicides, the last Friday of every month we publish the year-to-date total and compare it with the prior year's murders.
Satire and sight gags
Political cartoonists go for the jugular and the funny bone with the same stroke of the pen: Caricature is their stock in trade. The opinions expressed in the editorial cartoons are those of the artists, not the newspaper. Sun staff cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher's cartoons begin as pencil sketches. As he refines the visual wit, thought bubbles and punch lines throughout the day, he inks the cartoons by hand.
Your turn
