Know your editorial board

It is our honor to introduce this year’s opinion staff.

Comprised of editorial board members, columnists and cartoonists, the opinion desk is tasked with providing insightful commentary to its readers.

Editorial board members come from a variety of backgrounds in an effort to ensure a balanced perspective on relevant news issues.

This has been the mantra since the paper’s inception.

A quote from a 1932 column in The Daily Tar Heel titled “The Aim of the Paper” summarizes this motto: “It is the aim of The Daily Tar Heel to foster open-minded and genuine liberality, which will admit the possibility of two sides to every question.”

The editorials remain unsigned and reflect the majority of the views of the editorial board.

Each topic we select to opine on is carefully researched and discussed amongst the editorial board and, through these discussions, we come to a consensus opinion.

This is not to say that these opinions wholly reflect those of the numerous writers across the different desks of The Daily Tar Heel. While the newsroom is tasked with the majority of the reporting, it is the editorial board’s responsibility to spin actionable ideas onto its writing.

Columns are another essential part of the opinion page.

These pieces range from sardonic social commentaries to remarks on otherwise-overlooked topics that are meant to spur discussions.

Columnists come from different corners of the campus community and bring their own views and perspectives.

These writers connect with readers on a more personal level by addressing everyday topics, conventional and unconventional.

Therein lies the essential difference between the two positions — editorials reflect nine voices serving as one board to push actionable responses while columnists each demonstrate their own beliefs in a way that forces readers to approach these issues through a different lens. Similarly, cartoonists create pieces that are up to the personal interpretation of the audience, fostering discussion.

Their unique representation of various issues can cover politics, sports or squirrels on any given day.

With our editorial board members, columnists and cartoonists in mind, we write this with the hope that the coming year will bring dialogue.

And social media is an essential complement to the opinion page.

We hope to engage our readers through various outlets — Twitter (@DTHopinion), email, online comments and letters to the editor.

It is through these venues that readers will keep the opinion staff accountable as we aim to encourage an engaging relationship with our readers.

This paper is built for and by its readers. So we invite you to reach out to us — whether that be in support or dissent — throughout the course of the upcoming year.