Opinion Writing

The ASNE Opinion Journalism committee strives to serve those who practice, supervise, study, or seriously aspire to doing fact-based commentary journalism.

The Masthead 2018

Newest articles:

Editor's note: In this issue of Masthead
- If you are working on some kind of engagement project – whether the intent is to grow your audience, build trust or to advance some other strategic purpose – you’re not alone.
Gather Q&A: Engagement journalism comes of age
- The Jefferson Center’s Andrew Rockway, who is a member of the Gather steering committee, caught us up on the project Gather, a digital community and resource repository for journalists working on engagement efforts.
3 things you should know before starting a Facebook group
- 1. Start with a specific topic, but not too specific. 2. Set boundaries. 3. Be prepared to give up control.

Heritage panels / Department of State Briefings
- Heritage panel: Conservatism supports, survives Trump
  - The conservative movement’s policies largely coincide with President Donald Trump’s agenda and so will emerge intact if not stronger following his presidency.
- Heritage panel: 8 Supreme Court cases for editors to watch
  - Expect 39 more Supreme Court decisions by summer recess, an ASNE panel was told, with the so-called Travel/Muslim Ban and gay wedding cake appeals among the most high-profile coming this season.
- Envoy: ISIS is down but not out
  - Retired Lt. Gen. TerryWolff, the deputy special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said that “we’ve had significant success” and that more than 7 million people have been freed from the extremist group’s oppressive rule.
- State Dept. report: U.S. counters threats from China, North Korea
  - The United States takes a stern stance against threats from China and North Korea, according to Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, who said, “We’re not going to abide China’s attempts to displace the United States in Asia.”
- Official: Global rights are a continuing priority
  - The U.S. continues to emphasize human rights around the world as President Trump imposes a less expansionist view of American power abroad.
- Video (4 minutes)
  - State Department Briefing by Peter Haas on trade objectives, jobs, security, steel and aluminum, economic strength, better deals
- Video 3:35
  - Haas answers to Q&A on WTO, NAFTA, newsprint tariff, TPP and trade war.

All Masthead 2018 articles can be found here.