Are editor’s notes objective enough for a modern newsroom?
Some journalists find the use of editor’s notes to be unnecessary due to possible biases. Others find them integral to the comfort of their audience.
By Casey Bacot for COMM-409 at American University
Editor’s notes are common amongst all levels of journalistic writing, from university newspapers to national publications. These notes commonly warn readers about sensitive content presented in the article such as graphic images or mature topics.
Some journalists are beginning to show concern regarding these notes. With a rise in media distrust and a recent study finding that these notes may increase anxiety in readers with trauma, a debate about their necessity has begun.
Andrew Kleske is no stranger to backlash. With over two decades of journalism experience as a professor at the University of California in San Diego and the reader outreach editor for The San Diego Union-Tribune, he has experienced the decision-making process behind editor’s notes.
With the tagline “by the community, for the community,” the Union-Tribune’s opinion section is almost entirely made up of submissions from outside the newsroom. Because of this, editors, such as Kleske, must look beyond the opinions and fact-check each submission. In January, the Union-Tribune released an article composed of opinion essays sent in by readers regarding President Biden’s time in office.
The editor’s note added to the article: "We received essays that were more critical of Biden that didn’t meet our standards, and the authors declined to fully address cited inaccuracies.” This note “generated almost as heated a response as the essay question itself,” Kleske wrote in an article explaining his decision to add it.
According to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, ethical journalists should be accurate, fair and thorough. An issue with adding editor’s notes to articles is that it may affect journalistic objectivity.
“That is the challenge. To add a note that offers insights into the production process without appearing to take sides or apply weight to one perspective or another,” Kleske said. “Just as words used in a headline or the choice to place one viewpoint ahead of another on a page can be seen as an editor's endorsement, a note should be as objective as possible.”
Though Kleske has said he is not a fan of editor’s notes, he argues that they are sometimes necessary for a story.
“There are times an editor's note can explain why editors chose a piece to run and how it was edited, or even not edited, to give the reader insight into the editors' thought process - for example, if offensive language or characterizations of events or issues are left in or removed,” he said.
Editor’s notes are used in more than just local and national newsrooms. University student-run media also recognize the occasional statements as necessary.
Abigail Pritchard, the editor-in-chief of The Eagle at American University, describes her process of adding notes as “an instinct.” She adds editor’s notes before reaching her copy editors to warn them about the possibility of upsetting content. These initial comments often become the final editor’s notes in their published articles. She says if she feels it is necessary to warn her editors, she should also warn her peers.
Kleske writes for a completely different audience and decides on editor’s notes similarly to Pritchard.
“Using an editor's note is really employed on a case-by-case basis, and it's the kind of thing an experienced editor will just have a feel for. In this way, a note can show there are real people on the other side of this process,” he said.
Content Warnings
In 2023, content warnings are one of the most common reasons for an editor’s note. They are often referred to as trigger warnings because they may involve sensitive subjects for some readers. Pritchard said The Eagle does not use the word “trigger” to increase subjectivity.
“I wrote [a note] this morning that was a content warning, and it said, ‘Editor’s Note: This story contains references to gun violence,’” she said. “That is a factual statement.”
There is a debate about whether or not these content warnings are causing more harm than good. According to a Harvard study conducted in 2020, trigger warnings made trauma survivors more anxious about the material they were presented with.
To help combat this anxiety, Pritchard’s team includes resources such as trauma hotlines, links to websites and on-campus contacts.
“When we are warning people about sensitive topics, we also, in those cases, provide resources in a story,” she said. “I think that we're doing our best to minimize harm while still getting the information out there.”
Graphic Imagery
The rise of social media has led most major news organizations to begin posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even TikTok. These new platforms lead to publications posting headlines and blurbs from the text. Users following the accounts may scroll through their feeds and stumble upon a sensitive topic with little warning.
In Oct. 2022, The Eagle published a story regarding an incident of sexual assault on American University’s campus. Like all of their other stories, an Instagram post was made regarding the article. Unlike most of their other posts, it began with a cover photo reading “Content Warning: Sexual Assault.”
“For something like that incident, a content warning is inherent because every part of that post is going to relate to the topic,” Pritchard said.
While Pritchard said she would never allow a graphic image to be posted on The Eagle’s social media pages, that is not the case for all publications. Some media publications rely on these graphic images to feel newsworthy, said Julie Posetti, a University of Wollongong journalism academic and Research Fellow in Paris. This increase in intensity leads to desensitization to some imagery and extreme psychological effects, according to the Association for Psychological Science.
While the debate surrounding the necessity of editor’s notes continues, objectivity, minimizing harm and fairness are the key factors that journalists must consider.
“I think when there is truly a value with everyone involved, it's really important that an editor’s note is included, whether there's one person reading it or many,” said Pritchard.
