Thread by @Oregonian

In her weekly letter to readers, our editor @tbottomly discusses news, opinion and how the editorial board works: (1/13)

@tbottomly One of the most persistent complaints I receive is that we are biased. (2/13)

People can see bias in word choice or the framing of issues. Readers might also see bias in photo choices, story placement or whether a subject receives news coverage or not. (3/13)

But often, readers mean they don’t agree with the positions of @Oregonian’s editorial board, which is entirely separate and operates independently from the newsroom. (4/13)

“Of course, your paper is leaned to the Liberal Left, as your endorsements reveal,” a reader recently emailed. “When will The Oregonian ever be fair and balanced?” (5/13)

So, do our editorial positions lean left? (6/13)

I asked Opinion Editor @HelenJung, who has been a member of the editorial board since 2014, how she would characterize our positions over time. (7/13)

“Generally, our positions have leaned center-left. We support socially liberal causes while also emphasizing financial stewardship,” she said, stressing the importance the board places on government accountability. (8/13)

As an example of a more conservative position, Jung cited the board’s opposition to Multnomah County getting into the preschool business when the state education department already has, for far less money.

You can read that editorial here: trib.al/w2EQtpz (9/13)

On the liberal side, the board favored marriage equality, a new business tax to support education, and police and juvenile justice reform.

Read the board’s opinion on police reform and accountability: trib.al/RTklREu
(10/13)

We are strong believers in accountability and transparency. We think government should be prudent stewards of public money. And, we believe, as society changes, editorial boards must evolve. (11/13)

My hope is that the current board and its positions serve the community and reflect its values. (12/13)

The toppling of the statue of Harvey Scott, a long-ago editor who stridently opposed women’s right to vote, is a reminder of how wrong a newspaper can be. I hope our positions hold up better to the test of time.

Read the full letter: trib.al/70qLK1n (13/13)

As always, the editorial board operates independently of the newsroom and has no influence over news coverage. They can be found at oregonlive.com/opinion