Facts and comment

I agree more with John Abell. My beef is not with commentary or any new-fangled interaction with news users, but watering down the craft of journalism. Reporting is a profession. And as with any lawyer, chartered accountant or doctor worth consulting, reading my news I'd like to know I'm getting a professional product elaborated with due care in accordance with established best practice. If on top of the news file there are news analyses and personal columns, great. Clearly flagged as analysis and commentary. But Breakingviews is, as far as I can see, merely market froth whipped to momentary steady state, a souffle of rumours with deal-making as the egg white. It reeks of mentality of investment bankers, who know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Fine, as long as this is clearly flagged. Reporters have had opinions as long as doctors, lawyers and chartered accountants have. But, just like these professionals, they learn to use their professional tools and the skills of their craft to achieve outcomes that pass muster, whatever their views or the views of their "users" - because the thing they have in common is a shared understanding of news as a fair account of what has occurred. ■