About The Editorial Board
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Editorial Board is made up of writers and editors who work independently from the newsroom and offer an informed viewpoint on important issues of the day.
The Editorial Board of The Philadelphia Inquirer is committed to advancing civil and constructive public dialogue through informed, principled, and independent commentary. Through reporting, research, and the journalistic expertise of its members, the Editorial Board debates the important issues of the day, forges a consensus, and uses the persuasiveness of its arguments to bring issues to light, offer solutions, and guide and affect public debate.
Although the Editorial Board is a vital pillar of The Inquirer, it operates under a strict structural firewall that guarantees its independence from both the newsroom and the organization’s business operations. News reporters and editors do not participate in the Editorial Board’s deliberations; nor do members of The Inquirer’s administrative, business, or operational staff.
When the Editorial Board speaks through its unsigned editorials on behalf of the institution, its perspective solely reflects the consensus of its members and does not represent the views of the publisher, the editor, the newsroom, or The Inquirer’s Board of Directors.
That separation of an editorial’s point of view from the rest of the organization reinforces the impartiality of the newsroom, ensures that the Editorial Board’s stances are not a consideration in news coverage or influenced by The Inquirer’s business interests, and upholds the ability of Inquirer reporters to pursue facts without the perception of bias.
While reporters and editors in The Inquirer’s newsroom focus on uncovering the unvarnished facts, the Editorial Board’s mandate is to examine those facts, contextualize them, and arrive at a shared viewpoint. The Editorial Board’s positions are not based on reflexive partisanship or adhering to a specific ideological dogma. Rather, the Editorial Board is fiercely dedicated to robust discussion and rigorous analysis.
The Editorial Board’s goal is not to dictate what readers should think, but to cut through the noise of polarized debate and provide a catalyst for elevated discourse. Through its editorials, the Editorial Board champions solutions to society’s most complex challenges. By modeling open-minded inquiry and finding common ground, the Editorial Board aims to hold power to account, promote collective understanding, and inspire positive action on the pressing issues shaping our future.
The Inquirer Editorial Board is led by Richard G. Jones, managing editor of Opinion. The deputy opinion editor is Luis F. Carrasco.
Read The Inquirer’s editorials here.
About our editorials
Editorials express an opinion about a matter of policy or public interest that has been researched and written by our Editorial Board, a group of journalists separate from the newsroom. Unlike news stories, which are fact-driven and written by reporters, editorials advocate, champion, argue, critique, and offer solutions. Editorials are not intended to dictate what readers should think, but to cut through the noise of polarized debate and provide a catalyst for elevated discourse.
