It is easy to develop an opinion about an issue, but it may not always be easy to develop a valid opinion when there are so many aspects to an issue that one must consider. Is there always a superior view, or is a certain perspective only justified by an individual’s personal values? It’s a paradox, isn’t it?

Opinion pieces, such as this one, should not be seen as a sort of dogma or to preach a certain view as the only true one.

These particular kinds of articles serve a specific purpose for the newspaper. Because they are usually based upon another news story, they do not always provide new information to the public. However, they are interesting in that they provide an angle of interpretation that can focus the attention of the reader on a more centralized theme.

“[Perspective writing] represents those issues that the public needs to know about,” said journalism professor Jay Coplin. “It sort of puts a great light on those specific issues and brings them into a forum format.”

So, it is not that an opinion presented is the only one a person should have. More importantly, it should be seen that the issue presented is important enough that one should at least consider it and try to develop his or her own opinion on the matter. Even when this is accomplished, though, problems persist.

“People tend to go to the new sites and blogs that fit their world view,” said Chicago Tribune reporter Eric Benderoff. “This puts pressure on mainstream news to be more opinionated and has made it more polarized.”

One of the basic rules of journalism is to be objective. Surprisingly, this can be achieved even in opinion writing through a concept known as “to be sure,” Coplin said. This concept allows perspective writers to attain objectivity by also pointing out the opposing argument within their own.

Unfortunately, most people want to hear their view on a subject without hearing the other side. This inhibits a person’s ability to develop an educated stance. How much better would one be able to defend his or her beliefs if he or she knew how the opposite view would defend his or hers? It may seem too elementary to say it, but people need to educate themselves before they draw any definite conclusions.

A lot of critics of opinion pieces tend to find it easy to refute the arguments. Well, in defense of perspective columnists, it is not easy to make a fully convincing argument with all the necessary facts in 12 inches of margin or in less than 1,000 words. Most subjects should, and do, take a book’s worth of writing to be fully explained and even then it is not always enough.

“It is a reflection of our time that anyone can be a pundit,” Benderoff said.

It is true that different opinions on every subject can be found anywhere in the media, and it is not necessarily always a professional journalist or expert on the issue. Even when they are, the writer or reporter does not always uphold his or her required responsibilities when presenting an argument. Due to this inconsistency, the reader also holds some responsibility to constantly question facts, sources and the logic used. Let this column simply arouse your interest to look further into a topic for yourself. But, hey, don’t take my word for it.