Mixing Fact and Opinion

I've picked up good ideas and practices after reading other City Council member's blogs. For one, I've learned to write a lot more succinctly. Shorter is far more effective on the Web.

The other lesson involved an approach I had to learn over a far longer time. The best practice is well summarized by City Councilman Douglas Athas of Garland, Texas, back when I was writing him and other council members for tips:

Indicate what is reporting and what is opinion; your readers deserve to know the difference. I think it generally a good idea to not mix the two. Two separate posts can work better.

I can categorize each post (most blogs can) and if I have any comments that are opinion, I assign that blog post to my Opinion category (and others, too, if appropriate).

I was slow in learning this lesson. I began my columns in the same style as I wrote as a newspaper editor. What I sort of vaguely told myself is that readers must want "interpretation" from me as a councilman. In the life of a newspaper columnist or editor, words are often a tactical weapon you use at those you want to persuade or move.

Of course, what I have learned with age is that darn few people are persuaded of something they don't want to be persuaded about. They are generally looking for reinforcement of their beliefs; or, more relevant to this post, they want information that is relevant to their lives and/or their understanding of something.

What I found is that the slicing words that got me the most praise as an editor ... heck, the words that won me a lot of awards ... got me the most criticism as a City Councilman.

Now criticism comes with the territory. This criticism was right on. People like information about their government "straight up." Walter the opinion columnist had to give way to Walter the City Councilman. Walter the City Councilman would be happy if people just knew what was going on in Lakewood. So he sure doesn't want to repel people with his writing style.

I had to adjust my attitude and approach. People have told me they like it. I haven't written a particularly savage column in a long while. When I do, I will clearly label it as such so people don't enter the post thinking it is something other than what it is.

Take a look at how Douglas categories Opinion posts. Makes a lot of sense and I will start doing it myself.