You advocate including someone from the advertising department on a newspaper’s editorial board. How can those individuals be objective? Won’t they simply be looking out for the newspaper’s financial interests – as opposed to the community’s best interests – when framing the newspaper’s editorial positions?

The goal of any editorial board is to seek a broad spectrum of opinions. There is no set formula for editorial board representatives, but the process ideally should solicit opinions from beyond solely the news department. Some newspapers include representatives from the community at-large.

The best editorial boards – if they are to remain dynamic – should include rotating and permanent members. Individuals assigned on a rotating basis might include someone from the newspaper’s production and advertising departments as well as the community members. The editor and publisher fall in the category of permanent members at any newspaper. In that regard, no one is more interested in a newspaper’s financial health – and a community’s well-being – than the publisher.