Most of what we publish is reporting, which aims to tell you what happened and why it matters without telling you what to think. The Editorial Board is different. It speaks for the publication as an institution, argues a position, and says so openly.
What the board is
The Editorial Board is a small group of senior opinion editors who write and approve unsigned editorials expressing the view of ABC 24 Times. Because these pieces are the publication's own argument, they are labeled as opinion, presented separately from news, and written to be read as advocacy rather than reporting.
Separate from the newsroom
The board does not direct news coverage, and reporters do not take instructions from it. News editors decide what to report and how, using the standards described in our Editorial Standards. Opinion editors decide what to argue. The two groups work apart so that an editorial position never bends a news story, and a news story never has to defend an editorial position.
Our named staff columnists and guest writers are a separate matter again. Their columns express their own views, in their own names, and not the board's.
How editorials are decided
Topics are proposed by board members and weighed against a few questions: Is this a question where an argument can add something that reporting cannot? Are the facts settled enough to build on? Can we state the strongest opposing view fairly? A draft is then written, tested against the facts by the fact-checking process described in the Fact-Check Lab, and refined until board members agree on what is being claimed. Editorials are meant to explain their reasoning, not simply assert a verdict. Where members disagree on a point, we prefer a narrower, honest position over a vague one.
No named individuals
For the launch edition we describe the board by its roles rather than by names, and we make no claims about the careers or credentials of any individual. When membership is finalized, we will list it here, together with any relevant conflicts of interest.
The launch-edition statement
The first statement of the Editorial Board is titled 'Why We Label Every Number'. It sets out a principle that runs through all our work: that a figure is only as useful as the reader's ability to see where it came from and how far it can be trusted. If you read one editorial from us, make it that one.
How to respond
Editorials are meant to start conversations, not end them. If you disagree, agree with reservations, or think we have missed something, write to [email protected]. For a published reply of your own, see our guidance on Letters to the Editors and Guest Columnists. If you believe an editorial contains a factual error, please use [email protected] instead.